Augustgradian Assault (Remake)
by Zulon
Summary: The Adventure Concludes...Heroes rise, democracy dies, traitors revealed and threats unseen. (Remake of my original story) Blends elements from Sonic X, Sonic Boom, and Archie Sonic.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Incarceration

Location: Camp Connelly, Tarsonis

Midnight...

* * *

Disorientation welcomed Sonic with open arms when he suddenly regained consciousness, finding himself sprawled upon the floor of a prison cell. Pushing himself into a seated position, the hedgehog could do little but study his new surroundings. He was surrounded by three walls of concrete, with electrified bars that looked far too nasty to even consider touching. With growing claustrophobia, Sonic rose to his feet and noticed that an electronic device had been attached to his ankle.

"What the hell!?" he asked groggily.

"Sonic?" a voice called out.

Glancing around, Sonic discovered Amy seated in another cell that was located directly across from his own.

"Amy...? What happened?" he asked, having difficulty remembering.

It had been just two weeks since Sally's attempted assassination of the Prime Minister, since that time the Terran Republic had descended into chaos. Anti-Mobians sentiment had spread like wildfire, likely exacerbated by members of Humanity First. In an attempt to avert a potential armed conflict, the Council of Acorn had publicly denounced Sally for her 'actions'.

"I think we were drugged," she stated, distracting Sonic from his thoughts.

"What was the last thing you remember?" he questioned, concern edging its way into his voice.

"Um...," she began, trying to retrieve those memories.

"We were paid a visit by Anthony Godheim; the President of the National Assembly," another voice interjected.

Sonic instantly recognized the voice as belonging to Rotor, though from his position he was unable to see where the walrus was.

"Yeah. I remember now."

Charged with helping supply weapons to the notorious Sons of Korhal biker gang, the Deputy Prime Minister had been arrested during a pre-dawn raid on his villa. With Jorgensen incarcerated and the Prime Minister indisposed, it fell to the President of the National Assembly to lead the country.

"I'm guessing Sticks had the right idea when she fled the Prime Minister's estate," Rotor commented.

"Yeah. Looks like she's proven that her paranoia wasn't misplaced," Sonic admitted, glancing around the drab interior of his cell.

"At least Chris is headed back to the United Federation," Amy stated.

Due to unstable situation in Augustgrad, Jorgensen had managed to negotiate safe passage for Chris to leave. Chuck would be waiting for him in Soleanna to take him back to the relative safety of Station Square. The X-Tornado would also be sent back with him, as Tails had claimed it was technically property of Thorndyke Industries. This was of course a lie fabricated on his part, as it was a means of preventing it from falling into the wrong hands.

"Any clue as to where we might be?" Sonic asked.

"I think it's some kind of military prison," Rotor answered.

"And you would be correct," confirmed another voice.

Having been too focused on their conversation, Sonic hadn't noticed the newcomer entering into the cellblock. Stepping into view was a black hair man with thick sideburns, and dressed in pair of black pants, a grey dress shirt with a red necktie, black shoes, and a brown and black overcoat. It only to a moment for Sonic realized that it was Vasillj Tatarin; the Prime Minister's military advisor.

"You!? You're the one behind all this!?" Sonic asked in disbelief.

"Indeed. It was your arrival that has provided Humanity First with the means of ridding the Terran Republic of your kind," he said, clasping his hands behind his back.

"So Humanity First really was the one involved," Rotor stated.

"Why are you doing this to us?" Amy asked.

"Because you're far too dangerous to be allowed to remain free."

"What did you do to Sally?" Rotor demanded.

"As if you're in any position to make demands," Tatarin commented, scoffing at the walrus' arrogance, "Very well. If you must know, we subjected her to neural resocialization."

"Resocialization?" Rotor questioned.

"It's a procedure that involves the alteration of a person's brain, wiping away their memories and making them completely obedient," he explained, "We utilized an experimental form of resocialization that allowed us to implant within her subconscious the impulse to assassinate the Prime Minister."

"Y-You monster!" the walrus roared in outrage.

"I've be called far worse," he said dismissively.

"So you used the National Assembly as a means to turn the public against her," Amy accused.

"Except your plan failed," Sonic added, "The Prime Minister is still alive."

"He lives only because I permit it. It wasn't enough for her to kill Carmichael the moment the opportunity presented itself. No, we needed to make it a public spectacle, something that would be viewed by the entire Terran Republic."

"Did you also frame the Deputy Prime Minister?" Rotor asked.

"Indeed. Though I would've much preferred it if he was left to struggle with this 'international incident' a little while longer. Unfortunately my hand was forced."

"What are you talking about?" Sonic questioned.

"Your princess escape from the psychiatric facility that she was being held at," the General stated.

"S-she escaped!?" Amy asked in disbelief.

"Four days ago."

"We weren't involved in that!" Rotor shouted, "We've never left the Prime Minister's residence and you know it!"

"I have no idea what you've been up to," Tatarin stated dismissively, turning his attention to Sonic, "You've got super speed, who's to say that you weren't slipping by while no one noticed?"

"Now you're just grasping at straws," snarled the hedgehog.

"You needn't worry though," he said, ignoring the jab, "We'll eventually recapture her just as we'll capture your badger friend."

With that, Tatarin whirled around, the tails of his overcoat flapping, intent on making his departure.

"That's it? You're gonna leave just like that?" Sonic questioned.

"I have nothing more to say to you, hedgehog," he stated, turning to face Sonic.

"Or...maybe you're just afraid," he accused.

"Like I have anything to fear from a fleabag like you," Tatarin said, marching off in the direction of the hanger entrance.

"And I wouldn't tamper with that anklet if I were you," the general called to them, "They're meant to subdue uncooperative prisoners, but we've modified them to explode if you attempt to remove them."

"You think he's telling the truth?" Sonic asked after a moment.

"I'm not prepared to test out his claims," came Rotor's reply.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Battle Weary

Location: Madubin Island

That same time...

* * *

Stepping through the doorway, Shard immediately found himself standing within a chamber that was bathed in white. Korianda trailed a short distance behind, a worried expression on her face that wasn't entirely unwarranted. The cavernous chamber spread out in every direction, and housed a central building with a white tile floor. There were two wings; one containing an area for food preparation, while the one contained bathing and sleeping quarters. Though Tarro had been successful in restoring his memories, it had come with its drawbacks. He had developed mental instability, prompting Korianda to lock him up for his own safety. That had lasted for about as long as Tarro had permitted it, eventually revealing that he was capable of teleporting. It appeared that he was recovering, but that all changed when Sally attempted to assassinate the Prime Minister. Proclaiming that it wasn't supposed to have happened that way, Tarro had abruptly locked himself within the chamber. Existing within a pocket dimension, the chamber's physical characteristics never remained consistent, making it unpredictable. Korianda glanced in the direction of the void, the worried expression remained in place due to the absence of Ki energy.

 _"Wonderful,"_ Shard grumbled, following her gaze, _"I can't even see him out there."_

Korianda squinted her eyes, making out a barely visible figure that was standing in the far off distance. The figure appeared to be glowing, but the she dismissed it as merely being the result of the chamber's unstable nature.

"Was goin' on?"

Hearing the voice, both Shard and Korianda turned to discover Sly standing stark naked in the doorway of the bedroom.

"Sly, why aren't you wearing a diaper?" she questioned, causing the boy to glance up.

"Not a baby," complained the boy.

 _"Where's your brother?"_ Shard asked.

"He not in bed," he replied.

Korianda glanced in the direction of the void, the worried expression remained in place when she couldn't sense his energy. The chamber itself existed within a pocket dimension, one where the physical characteristics never remaining consistent, making it unpredictable every time.

 _"Wonderful,"_ Shard grumbled, following her gaze, _"Can't even see him out there."_

She questioned Tarro's logic in bringing a toddler into the chamber, as she watched Sly race forward. She expected that he would run off in to the void, instead Korianda was surprised when refrained from stepping off the tiled platform, in fact she noticed he was trembling uncontrollably.

"BIG BRODER!" Sly screamed at the top of his lungs.

Korianda flinched and inwardly chastised herself for not expected him to resort to doing that, especially when he had breathed in deeply just before hand. At first they saw nothing, but then a glowing speck appeared in the distance, moving at a relatively fast pace. It took Shard a moment that the speck wasn't moving across the ground, but rather it was tearing through the air. The robot spotted the young Saiyan, and for a moment thought that he had undergone some kind of transformation, but merely shrugged it off as visual distortion. Tarro abruptly dropped down in front of the steps seconds later, the billowing gold aura dispersing as he landed. His outfit consisted of a pair of tattered and torn orange pants, a powder blue top that had come to resemble a toga, a white sash, and black slip-on shoes. Cuts and bruises covered his entire body, though only superficial, it was enough for Sly to cower behind Korianda's leg in fear.

"You bellowed?" he asked, ascended the steps.

Noticing the look of terror on the young Dovahkiir's face, Tarro dropped down on one knee, hoping to convince him that everything was alright.

"Hey buddy. Don't worry, I just got a couple of booboos," he explained to the boy.

Sly let out a whine and pulled away when the older boy attempted to reach for him, unconvinced by his words. Letting out a sigh, Tarro rose to his feet and immidately turned his attention to the reformed Metal Sonic.

"I'm not even gonna bother asking how you got in here, but you'd better have a good reason why you're distracting me."

" _Well...I've got good news and multiple pieces of bad news?"_ he reported.

"Give me the bad news," the boy said, "At least I'll have something to look forward to."

" _Alright. The_ _Deputy Prime Minister's been arrested,"_ Shard stated, causing Tarro to blink in surprise.

"Seriously?"

 _"It's being reported on UNN...something about supplying weapons to the Sons of Korhal."_

"Wonderful. The one man trying to keep the piece is now out of the equation," the boy grumbled, "You said you had more 'good news'?"

 _"Yeah, Sonic and the others were moved out of the city this morning,"_ the robot continued, _"Now it's being reported that they were arrested."_

"On what charges?"

 _"Who knows,"_ he replied with a shrug, _"I did learn that s_ _omeone sprang Sally from that_ _psychiatric_ _facility while I was patched into the hospital's security network."_

"Interesting...Any idea who that individual might be?"

 _"No. I've not found anyone exiting the building with Sally."_

"That's troubling. What about Sonic and the others, did you manage to track them?" Tarro inquired.

 _"I tracked them to a military base located 20 kilometers outside Tarsonis City."_

"...That sounds like Camp Connelly, but it was decommissioned years ago," Tarro commented, "Looks like someone using it as a military black site."

 _"So...what now?"_ Shard questioned.

"I'll be staging a prison break in the morning."

 _"There's one other thing,"_ Shard stated.

"Oh goodie, what could it be this time?"

 _"Sticks avoided the fate of her friends this morning,"_ the robotic hedgehog reported, _"She fled the Prime Minister's estate and is on the loose in the city."_

"Find her before she gets herself killed."

 _"Rodger,"_ he said, exiting the chamber.

Looking back in the direction of Korianda, Tarro discovered Sly was no longer with her, instead he glanced towards the open door of the bathroom where he found the youngster boy seated on the toilet. It hadn't only been the lack of attention that had contributed to his unwillingness to use the potty, but because he had only used a potty chair up until that point. Being terrified of using the regular toilet for fear falling in, it was easily rectified with the use of an adaptor seat. He had only needed to wear diapers at night for the first little while, something that he had quickly outgrew the need for.

"I really need to teach him to pee standing up," Tarro sighed.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm fine," he answered, though Korianda wasn't convinced.

Hearing the flushing of the toilet, Sly soon returned to the pair, though still suspicious of his adoptive brother's beat-up appearance.

"You wanna get outta here, buddy?" he asked, causing the boy to nod his head.

Remaining hesitant, Sly slowly proceeded forward, wearily keeping his brown eyes focused on the older boy as he took hold of his hand.

"Tomorrow I'll get you some clothes to wear, kiddo," the older boy stated.

"But me like bein' nekkid," the boy declared.

"I can imagine," he commented, "But that doesn't change the fact that you'll need to start wearing clothes now."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Prison Break

Location: Camp Connelly

Seven hours later...

* * *

The thumping of hydraulic boots announced the arrival of guests long before they stepped into the cellblock. A pair of Cerberus Troopers decked out in modified CMC-300 Powered Combat Suits entered, followed by a man dressed in a Light Combat Armor model that was also designed by the Cirion Multinational Corporation.

"Stand up," the guard ordered, stopping at Tails' cell, "Hands behind your head and face the wall."

The twin-tailed fox did as was instructed, his ears picking up the sound of the force field being deactivated. Risking it, Tails glanced over his shoulder in time to see the man tossing a packet into the middle of the cell. Reactivating the force field, he moved on to the next cell, allowing the fox to investigate what had been given to him. He quickly discerned that the package was an MRE; a Cherry Turnover to be precise, which was apparently meant to serve as a merger breakfast. Taking a seat on the concrete floor, Tails was quick to curse his bad luck that he hadn't received one of the larger packages. He could've used the packaged contents to whip up something that would've aided in their escape, but it would appear that the guards were unintentionally foiling his efforts. Taking a seat, Tails tore open the military ration, watching as the others received their own meal. Eventually the guards departed, leaving the group to eat what would probably be their only meal for the majority of the day. Tails continued to ponder a means of escape, but with only an MRE wrapper at his disposal, his options were severely limited.

"Don't keep us waiting, lil' bro. What's the escape plan?" he heard Sonic asked.

"I've got nothing," he admitted.

"C'mon, you can't tell me you're drawing a blank. You're the guy whose built a TV out of paperclips, and reprogrammed a super computer using dishwater detergent and a toothpick," the hedgehog encouraged.

"I...I suppose I could used the MRE wrappers to gunk up the force field's projector unit," Tails hypothesized, "It might disable it partially."

"Alright, let's give it a shot."

Rising to his feet, Tails approached the shimmering force field, studying the projector units that were mounted to the cell's inner doorway. With wrapper in hand, the fox was about to insert it into the force field when a vent cover suddenly fell from the ceiling. Hitting the floor with a clatter, the imprisoned Mobians watched as a Chao-like messenger robot with a green bag slung across his chest hovered to the ground.

"Bokkun!? What are you doing here!?" Amy demanded.

 _"I have a message for you from Dr. Eggman,"_ the robot replied.

They had heard little of Eggman since he had sieged Diamond Hills, temporarily forgetting about the egg-shaped dictator due to their own predicament. Without warning a television with gyrating telecommunication dishes floating down from the ceiling, Eggman grinning face plastered on the screen.

"Eggman," Sonic growled, "Came here to gloat?"

 _"Well there's an idea,"_ he said, _"But alas, I am not. I'm here to free you and the rest of your annoying friends."_

"Is that so?" Sonic questioned, unconvinced.

"What's your angle?" Mighty demanded, echoing Sonic distrust.

 _"Why nothing at all. I'm definitely not planning on using you as a distraction while I break into this base's command centre,"_ he answered mockingly.

"Of course," Sonic commented, rolling his eyes.

 _"Look, do you want my help or not?"_ Eggman asked, suddenly appearing sincere.

"Well...," the hedgehog began.

"You cannot be serious?" Amy said, "You're not actually considering accepting his help!?"

 _"Fine. Don't accept my generous offer,"_ Eggman stated, _"Just keep in mind that you'll probably be dragged in front of a firing squad and systematically executed."_

"He's got a point, Amy," Tails admitted.

"And it's not like we could possibly look any more guiltier," Rotor added.

"Fine," Sonic said, "Can you give us a hand, Eggbreath?"

 _"Bokkun. Set off the charges,"_ the doctor ordered.

 _"Aye-aye, Dr. Eggman!"_

Without another word, Bokkun reached into his bag and produced a remote detonator, triggering the explosives with an almost sadistic glee. The entire building seemed to rumble, klaxons blearing loudly as the force fields began failing one by one.

 _"And with that, I must bid you adieu,"_ Eggman said, the Egg Monitorvanishingbackinto the air ducts.

 _"Dr. Eggman, wait for me!"_ Bokkun cried out as he chased after him.

Freed from their cells, the Mobains gathered in the hallway to discuss a more immediate problem: the bombs strapped to their ankles.

"Can you figure out a solution, sugah?" Bunnie asked, looking at Tails.

"Um...," the fox began, searching the cellblock for anything of use.

Spotting one of the security cameras, Tails flew up and grabbed a hold of the device, retching it from its mounting. Returning to the group, he quickly began disassembling the device, rebuilding it into something unrecognizable.

"What in the hoo-haw is that suppose to be, sugah?" the cyborg rabbit inquired.

"It's a signal jammer," answered the fox, "It'll prevent the bombs from detonating,...at least in theory."

"Best we can hope for in this situation," Sonic relented.

Gathering at the door, they waited while Rotor worked on bypassing the door mechanism and freeing them from the cellblock.

Without warning, the door slid open, revealing the armored form of a Firebat decked out in a CMC-660 Heavy Combat Suit. His left side was face the now open door, but he had yet to notice that the prisoners had escaped their cells. Raising both arms, the Firebat unleashed a jet of flame from the arm-mounted Perdition flamethrowers.

"Mon dieu!" Antoine exclaimed, feeling his fur singed by the sheer heat.

The Firebat retreated a step backwards, keeping the flames spewing forward at the unseen attacker. Tails spotted Tarro suddenly appeared behind the Firebat, clothed in a baggy pair of black pants, with a matching short-sleeved shirt, a red vest held closed with a black belt, black finger-less gloves, and black boots. Worn over top of it all was a long-sleeved red haori that reached his knees, with a black flame pattern around the hem. Standing back-to-back with the Firebat, Tarro twisted his body and bisecting the man with the katana he wielded in his right hand, cutting through blood, flesh, and armour with ease. It was a standard-looking blade, consisting of a oval tsuba with four hollow diamonds at each of the compass directions. The Firebat collapsed to the ground in two pieces, blood spreading slowly across the concrete floor.

"WOW! That was unnecessarily brutal," Mighty commented.

"Oh come on! I plan a dramatic rescue and you've already managed to escape!?" the boy complained.

"Who the heck is this guy?" Sonic demanded.

"Sugah-hog, that's the one we went with Sally-girl to visit," Bunnie informed.

"Wait a second, where's Thorndyke?" Tarro asked, looking at Tails for an answer.

"Oh, he should be on his way back to the United Federation with Chuck," answered the fox.

"Funny. Shard neglected to tell me that."

"Well at least you were able to rescue Sally-girl," the cyborg rabbit stated.

"I never rescued her," the boy corrected.

"What do you mean you didn't rescue her?" the hedgehog snarled, seizing the boy by the haori.

Tarro gazed at the hedgehog with disdain before seizing him by the arm and twisting it at such an awkward angle that it brought Sonic to his knees.

"I've been indisposed for the past two weeks," he informed, "I only learned about you incarceration in the last seven hours. Furthermore, I haven't been able to determine who took Sally or where she's being held."

"How did you find us?" Amy questioned.

"Shard knew where you were, and it was a simple matter of tracking Tails' Ki energy," he replied.

"Can't you do the same thing to locate Sally?" Rotor questioned, growing concerned at Sonic's discomfort.

"Arm...hurting my arm," Sonic groaned, clutching his shoulder.

"I can't sense her," Tarro stated, ignoring the hedgehog, "Which means one of three possibilities; she's suppressing it, someone is concealing it, or she's dead."

"But she can't be dead," Mighty said.

"Exactly. They wouldn't be freaking out if she was," the boy agreed, "And I have doubts that she's capable of concealing herself."

The boy promptly released his hold on Sonic's arm and stepped over the fallen bodies of the men he had eliminated.

"We should get out of here before reinforcements show up," he suggested.

"What about Sticks?" Amy asked, "She's still missing since escaping the Prime Minister's residence."

"One dire situation at a time...," Tarro stated.

Without warning, a group consisting of a dozen of troopers in their orange armor raced down the hallway, their weapons aimed directly at them.

"Oh good, more cannon fodder," the boy commented.

Without warning, Tarro shoved his free hand forward and fired off a Ki blast that mowed down any troopers caught in the hallway. Few if any of the soldiers were able to get out of the way in time, but that didn't prevent the boy from firing several more to discourage them.

"Grab the person next to you!" Tarro yelled, "Link up together as a group!"

The Mobians complied, grabbing a hold those closest to them before Tarro broke off the attack and planted a hand against Antoine's chest, raising two fingers to his forehead.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Reprieve

Location: Madubin Island

Evening...

* * *

"Let me get this straight...," Rotor began, "This guy's a physician, who travels across time and space in a telephone booth?"

"He's a doctor, and it's a police call box," Tails corrected.

The pair was lounging on the couch in the living room, watching a sci-fi television series that long predated the Xorda's attack on the Earth. So long ago had this series come out that a number of the episodes produced were still in black and white.

"SYLVESTER! YOU GET BACK HERE!" a voice roared

Hearing footsteps, both Rotor and Tails barely had time to register a naked Sly leapfrogging over the back of the couch before he was out the patio doors.

"The hell...?" Rotor began.

"You see Sly come this way?" Tarro asked, stepping through the doorway mere moments later.

"He ran outside," the walrus answered.

Without another word, Tarro strolled forward and vanished through the doors in pursuit of the boy. Both the fox and walrus watched the rather humorous display of the older boy chasing his adopted sibling around the circumference of the pool, which thankfully the a safety cover in place.

"Where is he?" the hedgehog demanded, suddenly stepping into the room.

"Where's who, Sonic?" Rotor asked.

"Our benefactor!" he stated.

"Oh...he's playing an impromptu game of tag with Sly," Tails answered, "Why?"

"I'm sick of sitting around doing nothing. We should be out there looking for Sal and Sticks,"

"We can't, we're fugitives from the law. Remember," cautioned the fox.

Sonic knew that Tails was right, though that did little to make the situation any more bearable for him.

"I hate this," Sonic grumbled.

"And you think it's any easier for us?" Rotor questioned.

There was nothing Sonic could say that would make his displeasure of the situation somehow seem more important, as such he chose to hold his tongue. Tarro eventually stepped back into the living room, his brown monkey-tail wrapped around Sly upper torso. The youngster was clearly agitated, desperately trying in vain to slip free, but was making no progress.

"Seriously, you need to put some clothes on that kid," Sonic commented.

"Easier said then done, Mr. Sneakers-and-Gloves."

"And scarf, don't forget my scarf," he reminded, tugging on his aforementioned neckwear.

"I don't know where to begin looking for her, so stop asking," the boy said, knowing what the question would be.

"What about Sticks then, why aren't we look for her?"

"Because, who better to track Sally down then a feral badger."

Sonic opened his mouth as if to question the overall sanity of the plan, but it was Tails who ultimately spoke his mind.

"Is that really such a good idea?" Tails asked, "Not that I'm saying that Sticks is incapable of taking care of herself...or tracking Sally down like a bloodhound."

"Make no mistake, I've got eyes on her," Tarro replied, proceeding through the doorway, "Time for you to get to bed."

"But me no sleepy!" Sly wailed.

"So you say."

The boy made a desperate for the doorframe, something anticipated by his older brother who shifted his tail just enough to prevent him from doing so.

* * *

Location: Quatre Bras

Later that night...

* * *

Wisps of black smoke curled into the growing darkness, produced by the smoldering remains of several buildings that had been fire-bombed by angry protestors. The city's festival-like atmosphere was unusually subdued, with the streets largely deserted of pedestrians. As she walked past the fire-ravaged structures, Ebony could only shake her head at the senseless violence. It was dangerous to be caught out in the streets, especially with public opinion having turned against the Mobian population. Reaching the burnt out remains of the coffee bar, Ebony approached the front door of the shop, which by some miracle had managed to remain in one piece. Producing a key from the folds of her cloak, she was about to insert it into the lock when she sensed another presence.

"Where is she!?" a voice demanded.

Ebony whirled around and spotted a disheveled badger standing behind her, attired in makeshift clothing that contributed to her feral appearance.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about," she said.

"Liar! I can smell the Princess' scent all over you!" Sticks accused

"You're...her companion," she said in disbelief.

Various news outlets had reported that the Princess' companions had been taken into custody earlier, which explained why she did not immediately recognize the badger. Surveying her surroundings, Ebony immediately seized Sticks by the arm and dragged her through the doorway. Standing across the street, in a narrow alleyway sandwiched between two buildings, Shard had witnessed the entire event unfold. The badger and the cloaked figure had ventured into the ruined building, yet despite its ruined appearance, the renegade Metal Sonic was unable to see them. Switching visor modes, Shard immediately detected a field of distortion that surrounded the entire building. To his credit, using Sticks as a bloodhound had been a stroke of genius on Tarro's part, if not a bit reckless. The amount of things that could've gone wrong was sky-high, but at least things appeared to have turned in their favor.

 _"Boss, I think I've found her,"_ Shard reported, waiting for a response.

 _"...Good work. I'm on my way."_

 _"I'm picking up distortion surrounding the entire building,"_ he added, _"Might be the reason why you can't detect Sally."_

 _"I understand. I'll plan accordingly."_

Leaning against the building, Shard crossed his arms in anticipation of the young Saiyan's inevitable arrival. Seven minutes later, Tarro arrived alongside an irritated-looking Sonic and an equally groggy-looking Bunnie.

 _"Sticks went into that building with another individual around seven minutes ago,"_ Shard reported.

"All I see is a charred building," Sonic commented.

 _"Don't let its appearance fool you,"_ Shard stated.

"Stay here," Tarro ordered, stepping out of the alleyway.

Making his way across the deserted street, the boy reached into his pocket and produced a golden band. Reaching the ruins of the building, he held the ring forward, causing the distortion to become visible. As the ring absorbed the energy, it began to enlarge itself, prompting Tarro to release his hold of it. Recognizing it as a Warp Ring, Sonic was immediately confused as to how he had come acquire. Outside of Finitevus, the only people with a Warp Ring in their possession were Knuckles and the Chaotix. Being waved over, the trio quickly darted across the street and vanished into the Warp Ring, followed by Tarro.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Rescue

Location: Quatre Bras

Evening...

* * *

The group was left dumbfounded to find that the interior of the building was completely undamaged, despite its ruined exterior. Shard was not affected by the darkness that shrouded the room, his optics allowed him to study their immediate surroundings, coming to the conclusion that they were inside of a coffee shop.

"Oh my stars!" Bunnie gasped, her eyes having adjusted to the lack of light.

 _"Must be a hologram,"_ Shard suggested.

"I used my magic to craft an illusion to deceive the public into thinking that this building was destroyed during the riots," another voice explained.

Turning in the direction of the voice, the group discovered a black cat standing in the doorway, dressed in a purple gown.

"Who are you?" Sonic demanded.

"My name is Ebony," she answered, ignoring the hedgehog's disrespect, "You have come for the Princess, have you not?"

"So...you really do have Sally-girl?" Bunnie asked.

"Indeed. It was my coffee shop that she wondered into on that day," Ebony stated, "It was only later that Pyjamas informed me of what had befallen her."

"Who?" Sonic questioned.

"My girlfriend," she replied, "She a psychic, though her predictions are not always reliable. After she attempted to assassinate the Prime Minister, I came to realize that which she had predicted had come to pass."

"Was it you who sprang her from that psychiatric facility?" Tarro questioned, feeling he knew the answer.

"Yes. With my magic, I was able to infiltrate the hospital undetected and whisk her away to safety."

"Where is she now?" Sonic asked.

Gesturing for the group to follow her, Ebony led them through the doorway and into a sizable storage room. Crates of supplies that had been stacked in a haphazard fashion, while a cot had been set up in the center of the room. The unmoving form of Princess Sally had been laid upon it, though she appeared far from peaceful. Sticks, who stood to the side immediately turned to glance at the doorway, a look of relief appearing on her face.

"I was afraid the evil government agents carted you off to some dark pit somewhere," she stated.

"They did," both Mobians said in unison.

Sonic's attention immediately focused on the elderly sheepdog seated at the head of the bed, her gnarled hands hovering against the princess's temples.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO HER!?" Sonic demanded.

"Pyjamas' attempting to undo the Neural Resocialization that the Princess was subjected to," the feline explained, "It's the reason why she attempted to assassinate the Prime Minister."

"How do we know you're not trying to mess with her brain or something?" the hedgehog accused.

It wasn't the first time that the accusation had been hurled at them, the badger had earlier aired similar suspicions.

"You don't. Only a telepath can undo Neural Resocialization," she explained.

"But can she do it?" Bunnie asked.

"Her psychic abilities are untrained, but yes, she can do it."

"Can we move her?" Tarro asked, "I don't feel that we're entirely safe here."

"I wouldn't recommend it," Ebony warned, "It would be best if she were allowed to finish her work. We're quite safe here."

"I doubt you'd be saying that if a telepath were to suddenly wonders by," the boy stated with obvious concern.

Despite the damp curls of grey hair that obscured her eyes, Ebony could see her girlfriend's physical exhaustion. It was only a matter of time before she reached her limits, but until then she would continue to give it all she had and then some.

* * *

Location: Madubin Island

Two hours later...

* * *

Sally's blue eyes gazed up at the ceiling, watching the particles of dust swirl in the soft light of a bedroom. It was vaguely familiar to her, but took a moment to realize that it was the room she had used back in Tarro's sprawling estate.

"Sally-girl?" a voice asked, one she recognized as belonging to Bunnie.

She watched the rabbit appear in her field of vision, followed by an ever familiar blue hedgehog, both with a concerned expression on their faces.

"W-what happened?" she asked, finding her mouth bone-dry.

Sonic immediately moved to retrieve a bottle of water, while Bunnie helped the chipmunk into a seated position. The hedgehog eventually returned, offering the bottle to Sally, who chugged three-quarters of the contents before her thirst was satisfied.

"What happened?" she inquired a second time.

Both the rabbit and hedgehog exchanged a worried glance, neither wanting to be the one to explain to her what had happened.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Bunnie asked, treading carefully.

"I...remember going with the Prime Minister to speak before the National Assembly," she replied, "Why are to two acting so cagy?"

"Sal, something happened," Sonic stated, "Something bad."

"What are you talking - oh god, now I remember."

The memories came back like water flowing through an open floodgate, and she felt herself beginning to hyperventilate.

"Sally-girl, you need to calm down," Bunnie said, noticing the chipmunk's distress.

"How can I be calm!? They messed with my head and made me shoot Carmichael!" Sally yelled.

"He's not dead, Sal," Sonic answered, "But the severity of his injuries required him to be placed in a medically-induced coma."

Sonic was purposely refraining from going into detail as to the extent of the Prime Minister's injuries. With Sally's fragile emotional state, she didn't need to know that he had been most likely crippled as a result of the shooting.

"How bad are things?" she demanded.

"Public opinion has turned against us," Bunnie admitted.

"Unsurprising given it was broadcasted for the entire Terran Republic to witness," added Sonic, "Tatarin had the Deputy Prime Minister framed around twenty-four hours ago, while we were taken in to custody."

"Which was in reality a military black site," added the rabbit.

"Wait! Then how did you manage to escape?"

"With my help," another voice said, "And would you mind keeping it down, people ARE trying to sleep."

The trio glanced in the direction of the doorway and found Tarro standing there, irritated and clad in just his fundoshi.

"Um...sorry," the three apologized.

"What about Mobotropolis? How did they respond?" she asked, immediately growing concerned for the wellbeing of those back on Westside Island.

Bunnie and Sonic exchanged another glance, unsure as to how they should respond to her question.

"Well...," began the hedgehog.

"Sonic!" Sally snapped.

"The council was forced to denounce your actions in order to placate the Terran Republic and avert a possible war," he explained.

"They...threw me under the bus?" she asked in disbelief.

"Ah'm sorry, Sally-girl," Bunnie said.

"I-I need to be alone now," Sally stated.

"But...," Sonic began.

"Get out," she said, "All of you, get out."

Both Sonic and Bunnie appeared crestfallen, but never the less did as was instructed of them, closing the door behind them as they left. Rolling onto her side to face the window, Sally drew her knees to her chest and began to weep, no longer able to maintain her composure.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Outlawed Help

Location: Dead Man's Rock

That same time...

* * *

Navigating through the dark streets of Dead Man's Port, Marcus watched the civilians with a certain degree of paranoia. Such a reaction only seemed natural when it came to working for the Special Services. Designated as D-3974 in government records, Dead Man's Rock existed as an unincorporated region of Tyrador. Lawless, the island was governed by whichever crime lord had managed to dispose of their rivals, with law enforcement usually handled by hired mercenaries. Stepping into an alleyway, Marcus approached a back-alley Hookah lounge and glanced around to ensure he wasn't being followed before slipped inside. The interior had a distinctly Turkish architecture, with three of the walls having been covered in a mural that had been reproduced from works by Ivan Aivazovsky. The smell of coffee and flavored tobacco was heavy in the air of the establishment, as was the smoke that accompanied it. Surveying the lounge's crowded interior, Marcus eventually spotted his contact seated at an empty table. She was a thirty-one year old woman with brown-haired and green eyes, dressed in a tattered green top with blue pants and brown boots. He immediately headed in that direction, settling in one of the empty seats directly across from hers.

"This better be good, Marcus. We're all fugitives and you're endangering us," Nuura Joss commented.

He and Nuura had history within the Special Services, and while most of their colleagues had blindly accepted that she had murdered the man she had been assigned to protect, he wasn't so easily doped. There were no doubts that she had been framed for Elliot Canon's murder, but though she was innocent, she had plead her guilty. Getting romantically involved with her assignment, she had committed a dereliction of duty, one that had gotten Canon killed.

"I wasn't sure who else to turn to," he admitted in a whisper, "I can trust no one else with the information I've come into possession of."

"What information?" she asked, neglecting the Turkish coffee she had ordered.

"The Special Services has a mole planted in the ISD," Marcus explained, "She's been working as Tamsen Cauley's bodyguard, while at the same time digging up dirt on him."

"What'd she find?" she asked.

Glancing around the bar for the possibly that he was being watch, Marcus slowly removed a flash drive from his coat and slid it across the table, into Nuura's waiting hand.

"There's a conspiracy within the government," Marcus warned, "Tamsen Cauley entered into an alliance with Humanity First. They've had a hand in what's been going on recently."

"To what extent do you speak of?" Nuura questioned.

"The highest levels of the government and military," he answered, "He subjected the Republic of Acorn's Ambassador to an experimental form of Neural Resocialization, one that works subconsciously. I believe that they also framed Deputy Prime Minister Jorgensen to get him out of the way."

Nuura bit her lower lip, looking at the shady customers who crowded the interior of the establishment.

"You here alone?" he asked, noticing her reaction.

"No. The others are here," she answered, "What exactly do you think we can do?"

"I know that Cauley's had you declared fugitives from the law, but I need your help to get to the King," Marcus said.

"Assuming that he's capable of doing anything," the woman commented.

"If not the King, then who?"

"Who indeed," Nuura murmured.

Cauley had a long reach, with eyes and ears were everywhere, and only by laying low in the most lawless part of the Terran Republic had she and her fellow War Pigs managed to avoid capture.

"If you're willing to help me, I'll convince the King to give you a full pardon," Marcus stated.

"Marcus, we just can't turn up at the palace and not expect to be arrested," she warned.

 _"...Nuura, bring him to the back,"_ she heard Valevoss order via her earpiece.

Rising, she motioned for Marcus to follow her, leading him past several hookah-pipe smoking patrons until they reached the back room, normally reserved for gambling. The Hookah lounge was operated by a smuggler, one befriended by her comrade; Romy Pyrius, during his days as a drug dealer. Her remaining comrades occupied the backroom of the establishment, consisting of five men and one other woman. They had been talking amongst themselves, but suddenly grew silent when they stepped into the room. A bald-headed man with a muscular physique immediately stepped forward, dressed in a blue t-shirt, black pants, and matching boots.

"Agent Marcus, I'm Brock Valevoss; leader of the War Pigs," the man introduced, "If we were to help you, could you secure us a pardon as promised?"

"Perhaps I was being a little too presumptuous when I said that," Marcus admitted, "I can only try to sway the King's decision."

"Does anyone have anything to say?" Valevoss asked.

"A chance to expose that scumbag Cauley? I'd definitely be up for that," Chakra Fen, a woman of Asian ancestry spoke.

"It beats having to look over our shoulders forever, I suppose," the blonde; Romy Pyrius said.

"We're on Dead Man's Rock; we're already doing that," one-armed Vin Iggins stated.

"I'll admit, I was surprised that I wasn't robbed for my shoes," Marcus commented.

"Cauley's a shrewd political survivor, they won't trust the words of a band of outlaws," Turfa Dei; a black-skinned man with arms covered in neon green tattoos argued.

"Hickson, what's your opinion?" Valevoss inquired, turning his attention to the bald-headed man with a mess of scars covering the left-side of his face.

Crossing his arms, Hickson gazed ahead with his dark eyes, as if trying to look at the situation from every possible angle.

"We've got an opportunity to take a swing at Cauley, I say we take it," Hickson stated.

"How long would it take to get the General Lee operational, Nuura?" Valevoss inquired.

"About an hour, less then that if I cold start the engines," she replied, "but that's not good for them."

"We might not get the choice," Chaka said, "I'm sure that slime Cauley has people on their way."

"True enough. Let's move before we're discovered," ordered Valevoss.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Haven

Location: Murasia

2 am...

* * *

A Wanderer-class vessel, the General Lee was outdated even back when the Leviathan-class Battlecruisers were still being fielded. Having been salvaged from a junkyard, the vessel had required an extensive retrofit just to make it flight-worthy, one that Nuura had personally overseen. Sitting within the cockpit, her green eyes were fixed on the on the ship's sensors, searching for any sign that they were being pursued.

"Cauley must have his eyes off the ball," Valevoss commented, leaning against the doorframe.

His thoughts certainly echoed her own; Cauley could've eliminated Marcus back in Dead Man's Port, which would've provided perfect opportunity. Useless he was a member of one of the ruling crime families, no one would've bothered investigating a man being murdered on the streets of Dead Man's Port.

"Any theories?" she asked.

"I prefer not to look too deeply into it," he answered, crossing his arms.

"Good luck is good luck, I guess," she said.

"I can tell that even you don't actually believe that?"

"We've clearly been hanging out together for far too long," Nuura commented.

"How much longer till we reach Soleanna?" he questioned.

"Won't be long now," she answered, "We're passing over Kingdom Valley now."

"I'll tell Marcus to get his butt up here," Brock stated.

"Yeah. Maybe he can talk down the Royal Guards so we're not blown out of the sky."

Without a word, Valevoss headed down to the gallery and found Marcus in the company of Iggins and Romy. Between the three of them, they were sharing a near empty bottle of Torsonis' Finest; Scotty Bolger's Old No. 8.

"You're needed in the cockpit," he said to Marcus, "Try to keep them from blow us to kingdom come."

Nodding, the AWOL Special Service agent slid out from his seat and heading in the direction of the cockpit. Without warning, Valevoss snatched the bottle of Whiskey from the table and downed the remaining contents in a single gulp. The silence hung in the air was unbearable, until Valevoss finally decided to be the one to break the ice.

"Where are the others?" he asked.

"Hickson and Dei are fine-tuning their armor," Iggins replied, "Don' know where Chakra wondered off to."

He had a fairly good idea, but this was hardly the time to be giving in to their more basic instincts.

"Say boss, if Marcus succeeds in getting us pardoned, what do you plan to do?" Romy asked, the question having been on his mind since they had left Dead Man's Port.

"It's not something I've given much thought to," he admitted, "Maybe I'll try to turn the War Pigs into something half-respectable."

"Sounds like a noble idea," Iggins commented, "Hope there'll be a place for me, cause I can't imagine what I'd do with myself."

"I can either go back to drug dealing or black-ops work, neither of which appeals to me," Romy said.

"We're talking hypotheticals here," Valevoss reminded, "We'll have plenty of time to figure it all out eventually."

 _"Good news,"_ Nuura declared over the intercom, _"We're not gonna be blown out of the sky. Taking us in for a landing."_

* * *

Location: Pukapito Palace

Fifteen minutes later...

* * *

Capitan Veers' gaze remained fixated on the descending aircraft, watching as it landed within the courtyard. A squad of Royal Guards quickly surrounded the vessel, wearing suits of Light Combat Armor from the Cirion Multinational Corporation, and wielding a CK-27 carbine rifle. The loading ramp descended with a loud hiss, and he watched as eight individuals, five men and two women disembarked.

"No sudden movements," Veers ordered, "Put your hands in the air so we can frisk you for weapons."

The group relented to being search, though the process yielded nothing, thereby satisfying the guardsman's suspicion.

"Now...which one of you is Agent Marcus?" he asked.

"I am," he replied, stepping forward.

"The King'll meet with you in the Communication Center," he stated, "But these...outlaws will need to remain within the throne room."

Marcus glanced in the direction of Nuura, who wore a neutral expression was anything but readable. Nodding reluctantly, Marcus could only hope that this wasn't a trap and that he wouldn't find himself with a bullet in the back. Veers led the way into the palace, through the winding corridors, passing framed artwork until reaching an oaken door. Pushing it open, Veers ushered him inside where Edward Routhe awaited, looking regal despite the early hour.

"Agent Marcus. I've been informed that you have acquired information regarding the current state of affairs in the Terran Republic," the King said.

"Yes sir," he answered, "A mole was planted within the ISD by the Special Service, she's been gathering intelligence on Tamsen Cauley."

"And what has she discovered?"

"He's allied himself with Humanity First, and even subjected the ambassador to neural resocialization."

"That would explain her behavior," King Routhe stated.

"There's more here on this drive," he answered, relinquishing it.

Inserting the USB into the computer terminal in front of him, King Routhe brought up a number of Cauley's personal files.

"Looks like Cauley's been digging up plenty of dirt on people," Veers commented.

"He would never have survived as long as he did if he lacked the means of dealing with his rivals," King Routhe stated.

"More then likely it's his co-conspirators," Agent Marcus stated, "Probably wanted an insurance policy just in case they tried to turn on him."

"And would you look at that; Anthony Godheim is on this list," Veer announced.

"...And it just so happens he's the acting Prime Minister now that Carmichael is indisposed and Jorgensen imprisoned," Routhe commented.

Pulling up an additional file yielded surveillance video of the Ambassador being subjected to neural resocialization, just as Agent Marcus had claimed.

"This'll prove useful in exonerating the Ambassador of any wrongdoing," the Terran King said.

"There's no way to tell how far this conspiracy goes, if you were to go public with this, you could find yourselves coming under attack by those in the military who are loyal to Humanity First," Marcus warned.

"You speak the truth, Agent Marcus, but I assure you we've got it covered," King Routhe assured, "Captain Veers, I'm gonna need you to run an errand for me."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Plotting

Location: Pukapito Palace

The next morning...

* * *

Edward Routhe hadn't gotten much sleep following Agent Marcus' arrival, instead choosing to continue reviewing the files stolen from Cauley. It had yielded plenty of information, including the subversive black-ops unit that answered directly to Cauley. Marcus' concerns were well founded, if they were to go public with the information, they would undoubtedly find themselves under attack.

"Is it true?" a voice asked.

The king turned to find a brunette-haired boy standing in the doorway with his white-haired grandfather. The boy had been granted safe passage to return home to the United Federation, negotiated by Jorgensen prior to his incarceration. Instead, Elise had intercepted them before they could depart from Soleanna, wishing to understand what was going on.

"Is it true that you've got evidence that'll prove Sonic and the others are innocent?" he asked.

Routhe sighed inwardly, knowing full well that it had been his daughter who had made mention of the previous night's guests.

"Yes. A file was delivered to me by a Special Services agent," he replied, "It details many of Tamsen Cauley greatest secrets."

"Can you use it to help them?" Chuck asked.

"The Ambassador was brainwashed in to shooting the Prime Minister," the King stated, "We now have video evidence that'll exonerate her. Unfortunately, with the President of the National Assembly now the acting Prime Minister, we have to be extremely cautious as to how we proceed."

"Why? What's the problem?" Chris asked.  
"Because Anthony Godheim is a member of Humanity First," Routhe explained, "On top of that, this conspiracy extents all the way to the military."

"I'm guessing that's an issue because...," Chuck began.

"...because Soleanna's security matters are handled by the Terran Republic," he replied, "We demilitarized as part of the Acts of Union."

"Isn't there something you can do?" the boy asked.

"...Come with me."

The king as he strolled past grandfather and grandson, leading them through the winding hallways of the palace until they exited into the courtyard. Moving across the cobblestones and past the well tended gardens the trio reached a guard tower that overlooked the glistening waters of the ocean. Punching a code in to the keypad, the door slid open and the group piled inside, but instead of going up, it descended. The cylinder of steel soon gave way to glass, revealing a dry dock hidden beneath the palace. There were four vessels under various stages of construction, each one easily larger then the Daedalus. Reaching its destination, the elevator doors behind them opened, allowing the trio to exit into an observation room that overlooked the dry dock. There was a group of people looking out through the massive windows, with several appearing to be of questionable morality.

"Unbelievable," a man with a pencil-thin mustache declared, "How did you manage to construct four Gorgons without anybody noticing?"

"You'd be surprised what we've managed to get away with, Agent Marcus," answered the king.

"It looks like they're still under construction," Chakra announced.

"They are, but it's mostly interior at this point. Nothing that would prevent them from being deployed," stated the King.

"Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but four Gorgon-class Battlecruisers are hardly going to match the entire Terran Republic Navy," Nuura commented.

"Agreed. I intend to reach out to Supreme Commander DuGalle and covertly inform him of the traitors in his midst," he stated.

"Can he be trusted?" Valevoss asked.

"DuGalle is loyal to the Terran Republic, he's as trustworthy as they come."

"What exactly is the plan here?" Hickson questioned.

"I've sent Veers to spread a rumor that I intend to abdicate the throne," he stated, "I'll use the press conference to expose Humanity First's conspiracy."

"That's one way to get their attention," Dei commented.

"And we'll likely find ourselves under attack shortly after, which is why I'll be ordering the launching of the Beatles."

"Wait! The Beatles?...like the music group?" Chris questioned.

"That's right. The Gorgons are named - the Lennon, the McCartney, the Harrison, and the Starr, after John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr."

Chuck shook his head in amusement, finding the cultural differences between those of the United Federation and the Terran Republic not nearly as vast as he had assumed.

"How exactly do you intend to take the fight to Humanity First?" Nuura asked.

"I intend to do as my father did before me; hire mercenaries and retake the Terran Republic by force."

"Guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree," Iggins commented dryly.

"We've got a three day wait ahead of us," stated Routhe, "After which I will call the press conference."

"There's still the matter of our pardon," Valevoss said.

"You've all risked much to inform me of this treachery. You'll all get your pardons, Mr. Valevoss, make no mistake about it," the king replied, "Although you'll have to remain within the palace grounds for...obvious reasons."

"A small price to pay for our freedom," Hickson muttered.

"Agreed," added Valevoss.

"Good. We've got much work ahead of us," Routhe said.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Siege

Location: Eredas Estate

That night...

* * *

Sonic peered out the window of the room that had been provided to him, unable to achieve the sleep he so desperately desired. Resigning himself to the reality that sleep would elude him the blue hedgehog exited out in to the estate's dimly lit hallways. An eerie silence had settled over the sprawling estate, giving it an atmosphere that was straight out of a horror movie. Reaching the kitchen, the hedgehog made his way across the linoleum tiles and stopped in front of the refrigerator. The incandescent bulb within bathed the room in light, as he proceeded to raid it for whatever food or drink that caught his attention. Retrieving a bottle of Snapple and closing the door, Sonic proceeded back to the living room, intent on watching some TV. Seating himself on the spacious leather couch, he allowed his eyes a chance to adapt to the darkness before fumbling for the remote. He suddenly could make out a noise, one that would've gone unnoticed, if not for the overwhelming silence. Rising to his feet, the hedgehog tried to pinpoint the location of the sound, following it down an adjacent hallway. Passing by paintings, the occasional piece of furniture, and open rooms whose purpose he couldn't fathom, Sonic eventually reached the end of the hallway. He could see the slightest bit of light pouring out of the side of what was clearly a false wall, while at the same time he could hear muffled sounds coming from within. Had it been daytime, those who were unfamiliar with the layout of the house would have easily overlooked it. As he drew closer to the false wall, he could make out the sound of someone talking from the other side.

 _"The weed of crime bears bitter fruit. Crime does not pay...The Shadow knows!"_

Pushing against the wall caused it to swing inwards, causing Gothic-sounding music to pour out from the room that lay beyond. Only sparsely furnished, the interior consisted of the same faux Japanese style as the rest of the estate. Reproductions of famous Japanese artworks had been hung on the walls, while a flower-filled vessel had been placed within a small alcove. It immediately became apparent that Tarro was a fan of Ikebana; the art of Japanese flower arrangement. The boy himself was lounging on the couch against the nearest wall, clad in a robe that was fully open, exposing his fundoshi. He wasn't the room's only occupant, seated on the Tatami flooring was a Sly, naked as had become common practice for the youngster. His elbows were propped against his knee, while his head rested with in his hands, his attention complete fixated on the sound emerging from the room's unseen speakers. Tarro suddenly reached over to the end table, where a steaming cup of Matcha rested along with a plate of Mitarashi Dango, and retrieved a small remote, using it to halt the infomercial about something called 'blue coal'.

"What do you want?" the boy asked, irritation creeping in to his voice.

He enjoyed listening to the old radio dramas of the distant past, but he never liked it when people interrupted.

"Oh! Um I couldn't sleep," Sonic admitted.

"So why should I be permitted to have any peace and quiet to myself," he said dryly.

Sly was equally displeased, and made his displeasure known to the hedgehog by giving him a baleful gaze.

"Shouldn't he be in bed?" he asked.

"I wasn't able to slip out of my bedroom without Sly becoming aware," he answered, "Plus he'd be pissed if I listened to The Shadow without him."

"...I'm worried about Sal," the hedgehog admitted.

The Princess had locked herself in the room provided to her, refusing to come outside for anyone or anything.

"Can't really blame her," Tarro said, "Given what she had been forced to do against her will."

Growing bored, Sly crawled his way across the Tatami mats to the end table, snatching a skewer of dango glazed in sweet soy sauce.

"Geez, more food?" the hedgehog questioned, "Didn't you eat a punchbowl full of ramen for dinner?"

"My kind is capable of consuming 30-40 times more food then a human," he stated, "We need it in order to maintain our metabolism."

Reaching for the cup of Matcha, Tarro was about to down its contents when a serious look suddenly crossed his features.

"Uh...you okay?" Sonic asked, noticing.

"Sly, go wake Korianda," he instructed the toddler, "Tell her that there are intruders on the island."

Scrambling to his feet, Sly was quick to race for the door, ignoring the hedgehog as he disappeared out the door.

"Wait! How do you know that there are intruders on the island?" Sonic asked.

"I can sense energy," the boy stated, "I know whose on my island and where they are at all times."

"That's...kinda creepy."

Uttering not another word, Tarro rose to his feet and headed for the hallway, meeting Korianda in the living room. She was clad in a white nightgown, her black hair cascading past her shoulders, a sheath katana was clutched within her left hand, which she immediately tossed to him as he stepped through the back door and onto the patio. The wind was beginning to pick up, whipping his robe about as he strolled across the damp grass of the yard. Rain had already begun splattering against his face when he arrived the fence that surrounded the plateau. One dozen troopers emerged from the jungle, pushing their way towards the crumbling stairs that led up to the estate grounds. They weren't clad in the CMC-300 powered combat suits, making the intruders not of the Republic Armed Forces, but were armed with C-14 Impalers.

"If your with the government or the church, get the fuck off my property!" he ordered, his voice loud enough to be heard.

The soldiers reacted as was anticipated, their gaze turning up in the direction of where the voice had come from.

"Target located," one of the soldiers announced, his brain-panned comrades immediately aiming their weapons in his direction.

"Aaaannnnndddd...apparently this is now happening," Tarro sighed, rolling his eyes.

8mm spikes were spewed from the muzzle of their weapons, shredded through the material of the robe with ease. The article of clothing descended harmlessly to the ground, its wearer having abruptly discarded it. Tarro appeared in the air above the crowd, a golden flame-like aura burning around his body as he drove his unsheathed katana through the visor of the nearest trooper with a downward stab. He planted his foot through the visor of another, sending the shards of broken glass into the man face, causing him to fall to his knees.

"AAHHH!...All I see is glass and blood!" screamed the trooper.

As Tarro dropped to the ground, the boy swung his sword and removed the arm of one seeking to shoot him at point-blank range. Kicking him in the chest, the man was sent stumbling backwards where he fell down the embankment. Slashing another across the chest, he leapt into the air and delivered a downward punch to the nearest attacker. He immediately spun around and collapsed forward, the blow being hard enough to break the man's neck. He flung his sword, impaling a retreating troopers who had spontaneously developed enough sense to turn tail and run. As he went down, Tarro rushed two more, driving his fist into the throat of one, and battering another in the side of the head. As they went down, he delivered a kick to the torso of an approaching trooper, sending him careening into a tree. Yet another soldier attempted to attack him, this time trying to clobber the boy with his gauss rifle. Kicking the weapon over the man's shoulder, Tarro quickly slipped around him, seizing the rifle and proceeded to unload it into him.

"Just you and me," Tarro declared to the remaining soldier.

The ordeal shattered whatever sanity he had remaining, sending him into a psychotic-induced rage. Screaming, he raising his weapon with the intention of firing, but was cut down with a beam of condensed energy.

"Geez. remind me not to piss you off," a voice stated.

Glancing up at the plateau, Tarro found Sonic staring down at him, having been present for the entire fight that had unfolded.

"Why don't you make yourself useful and find the ship that brought these throw-away soldiers," the boy suggested.

"OH! Um, right," Sonic stammered, disappearing from view.

"I'd better get dressed," he stated, "Looks like I'll be heading out shortly."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Recovery Mission

Location: Central City

Fifty minutes later...

* * *

Seated on a comfy couch, Tatarin sat within the darkened penthouse suite, watching the strobing lights of the helipad through large windows. He was dressed casually, consisting of a long-sleeved red shirt with an upturned black collar, a red necktie, dark brown pants, and black shoes. He raised the cigarette held loosely between his fingers to his lips, taking a long drag off the cancer stick. The room was pitch black, only occasionally being illuminated by the infrequent flashes of lightning. He suspected that the Ambassador and her companions were being sheltered on Madubin Island, and a ordered a twelve-man squad from Cauley's Cerberus Program to dispose of them. There was also the benefit of eliminating their benefactor, who was a threat that could be ignored no longer. Raising the cigarette to his lips, Tatarin took a long drag, holding the smoke within his lungs before expelling it in a white stream.

"You've proven yourself quite troublesome," he said to the handheld that rested on the table in front of him, "Even the foremost experts in decryption have had trouble cracking you."

"I will not permit you to have access to my database," NICOLE stated defiantly, her miniature holo-lynx form flickering in the darkness.

"Still upset over what we forced your friend to do on our behalf?" he asked, insincerity in his voice.

"Amongst other things," she muttered, drawing her arms across her chest.

"You are more then welcome to continue your resistance," Tatarin said, "Bear in mind that we'll inevitably crack that encryption."

"Keep trying. I've been enjoying our little game of digital tag," she said with smugness.

"We can always take you apart," he suggested.

"And I've told you; my components are one of a kind," NICOLE reminded, "You start taking me apart and you risk erasing the very files you seek to access."

Tatarin pushed his lips together, his smugness beginning to show as she removed a USB stick from the pocket of his jacket.

"This is an ICE Breaker developed by Colonel Orlen," he declared, "Let's see if this'll work?"

Inserting the USB in to the port of NICOLE's handheld, causing the Lynx's holographic avatar to suddenly seize up and abruptly dissipate. She couldn't risk having her attention divided while trying to resist the ICE Breaker, thus she had terminated her holo-form. Staring back at the windows, the General found that it had begun to rain, which now lashed forcefully against the glass. Rising to his feet, Tatarin made his way over to a sliding door of glass just off the living room and stepped out onto the balcony. Covered by an awning, he watched the rain rolled off in a constants sheet, while he remained untouched. Lighting another cigarette, the General stared out across the cityscape, listening the sound of the traffic below. His plans had not proceeded as he had expected, instead Camp Connelly had been destroyed and the emissary's friends had escape captivity. The operation of a secret detention facility would undoubtedly spark controversy should the public learn of it, but Cauley believed that there was a way to mitigate the fallout that was sure to follow. Managing to recover video evidence that implicated Dr. Eggman as being the individual responsible for not only the attack on Camp Connelly but the escape of the Mobians as well. They could manipulate the public into believing that they were in league with the Eggman Empire, and had been from the very beginning. Suddenly hearing the sound of glass shattering, the General whirled around and looked towards the penthouse doors, making out the silhouette of someone thrashing about on the floor. Cautiously heading back indoors, Tatarin was quick to discover a black-haired boy seated on the couch. He was around ten years of age, dressed in a blue gi with a white obi sash, along with red wristbands, orange pants, and black slip-on shoes. The most striking feature was the monkey-tail that was currently wrapped around the neck of a Cerberus pilot who lay struggling on the floor. He concluded that it was the same individual who had delivered the strike team to Madubin Island, which likely meant that they were all dead.

"Good evening, General," he said.

"Tell me, what did you hope to accomplish by coming here?" Tatarin demanded.

"Hang on a second," Tarro said.

Tensing the muscles of his tail, the boy crushed the pilot's neck with an audible crunch, stilling his movements forever.

"Sorry, what were you saying?"

"I said; What did you hope to accomplish by coming here?"

"Oh, that. I'm just here to recover something that doesn't belong to you," the boy replied, holding up NICOLE's handheld.

"Ah..., so you're their benefactor. I somehow imagined you older."

"Looks have a habit of being deceiving," he stated, tearing the USB free and throwing it into the far corner of the room.

"Very much so," the General conceded, "Do you really think you'll be leaving here alive?"

"Did you honestly think I'd come here if I wasn't capable of handling you?" Tarro retorted

Tatarin was momentarily taken aback by the declaration, but dismissed it merely as the boy's attempt at intimidating him.

"If you're seeking to impress me, then your failing miserably."

"Trying to impress you is the furthest thing from my mind," he countered with a wave of his hand.

Catching a glimpse of movement out of the corner of his eye, Tatarin watched as a robotic hedgehog moved across the room, stopping at the back of the couch. He snatched the computer from the boy's hand and walked away, his body disappearing in a beam of white light.

"Sorry. You'll not be getting into NICOLE's database now."

The General felt his eye twitch in frustration at the abrupt loss of such a treasure trove of potential intelligence, but attempted to maintain a neutral expression. Tatarin calmly walked to the center of the room, using the coffee table as a makeshift barrier.

"Don't try it!" the boy warned.

"I don't know what you mean?" he said as he kicked the table at him.

Tarro immediately stood up, sticking his foot underneath an unsheathed katana and kicked it into the air. Catching it, he sheered the table in half with an upward swing and slashing Tatarin's chest with a downward stroke. The boy knew that something was wrong almost immediately, the blade hadn't cut through skin and bone, rather it had merely graze across his flesh. With the fabric of his shirt having been cut by the katana, Tarro noticed the necrotic-looking flesh hidden beneath.

"What the hell!?" he said, stepping back.

"Nanomachines, boy," Tatarin stated as his skin reverted back to its normal flesh-colour, "There's nothing that can hurt me."

Before the boy could respond, the General seized him by the throat and flung him through the window and out onto the helipad. Tarro's body struck the concrete rooftop with an audible thud, causing pain radiating through his left shoulder. Hearing the sound of approaching footsteps, he quickly struggled to his feet in time to see Tatarin stepping through the broken window, glass crunching beneath his boots. Gripped by fear and unwilling to go toe to toe with the General, Tarro immediately ran for the edge of the rooftop.

"THERE'S NOWHERE FOR YOU TO GO!" he heard Tatarin declare, his words punctuated by the C-14 Impalers being fired at him.

Stopping at the edge, the monkey-tailed boy whirled around to face a wall of Cerberus Toopers, their weapons pointed in his direction. Tatarin had taken up a position behind them, a look of disappointment etched upon his face.

"Did you not say that you were capable of handling me?" the General questioned, "Or was that all just boisterous nonsense?"

"l may have underestimated you just a tad," he admitted, "But that doesn't mean that I'm incapable of handling you."

"So you say."

"I'm afraid we'll have to continue this some other time," the boy announced, abruptly stepping backwards off the ledge.

Tatarin rushed forward as he plummeted, but stopped dead in his tracks when the boy rocketed into the air, his body wrapped in a fiery golden aura. He had a ball of Ki charging in the palm of his right hand, which he then proceeded to hurl it at him. Tatarin backhanded it away with his right arm, inadvertently sending it slamming into the side of an adjacent building. The General's attention was drawn to the resulting explosion, which lit up the night sky and sent debris falling onto the streets below. As he turned back, he found that the boy was gone, having taken the opportunity to make a hasty getaway.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Shifting Opinions

Location: Hot Crater

Twenty minutes later...

* * *

Rivers of lava snaked their way throughout the Hot Crater; an inhospitable region of Murasia that was volcanic and highly unstable. The only light came from those very rivers, the sky having been blotted out by the plumes of ash ejected into the skies overhead. It was a place of deadly beauty, but the resources that potentially lay beneath the surface drew plenty of prospectors and mining companies. Without gear that was specialized towards such conditions, few ever found such an endeavor profitable. Tarro stood on a ridge overlooking all of it, his body bristling with rage that was barely managing to keep subdued. He had purposely chosen the location due to its distance from any populated area, where he could vent his frustrations without concern. He could practically hear his father's voice, chastising him for his cowardly behaviour, uncharacteristic of a Saiyan. The mere thought only served to incense him further, causing his entire body to start shaking visible.

"I'm not a coward," the boy declared, though his voice lacked conviction.

Raising his index and middle fingers into the air, Tarro powered up and caused a detonation that obliterated the ridge. Such a thing wouldn't have gone unnoticed, appearing to the orbiting satellites as a short-lived nova. With the ridge destroyed, the boy hovered in the air, his feelings of frustration having failed to be relieved. He allowed his Ki to rapidly build within his body, screaming in rage as he released it in a explosion consistent with 2.9 kilotons of TNT. The blind fury he felt was slowly fading, while the surrounding landscape had been drastically reshaped because of it. With his fury quelled to his satisfaction, Tarro raised two fingers to his forehead and, teleported himself back to his island.

* * *

Location: Madubin Island

Moments later...

* * *

Arriving back on his island, Tarro was unsurprised to find that Shard had been patiently waiting for his return. NICOLE was with him, having already manifested herself physically, but so were Sly and Inari.

"Big broder!" the Dovahkiir child cried out, running to him.

"What are you still doing up?" he questioned, scooped the boy up.

"You no here," he complained.

"That's no excuse," Tarro scolded, "You know how cranky you get if you don't get enough sleep."

The boy pouted which was typical for him whenever he didn't get what he wanted, before the Saiyan turned his attention to NICOLE.

"Thank you for coming to my rescue," the holo-lynx said, stepping forward.

"I couldn't risk Tatarin gaining access to whatever sensitive information you might have stored in your database," he replied dismissively.

"Up until then I was forcing his decryption specialists to work for it..." she stated, suddenly becoming serious, "...How's Sally?"

 _"Not good,"_ Shard answered, _"She's locked herself in her room ever since we recovered her from Quatre Bras."_

NICOLE sighed inwardly, having anticipated that the attempted assassination of the Prime Minister would be emotional devastating for her.

"Can I see her?"

"Are you willing to kick in a door?" Tarro asked.

 _"He's kidding...I think,"_ the rogue Metal Sonic said.

"I just hope you're better at convincing her then we've been," Tarro stated, carrying Sly towards the house.

The other three followed in close proximity, making their way through the house until eventually arriving at Sally's room.

"She's all yours," Tarro stated, "I'm going back to bed."

Shard and NICOLE watched as the Saiyan departed, with Inari quickly deciding to vacating the area as well. With themselves alone in the hallway, the holo-lynx stepped forward and knocked gently on the door.

"Go away!" a muffled voice ordered.

"Sally..., it's me," she said.

Hearing movement coming from the other side, the pair were caught off guard when the door was abruptly pulled open. Sally stood on the other side in a dishevelled state, a blanket wrapped around her body in an attempt to hide it. It was a failure, but NICOLE noted that at least she was self-conscious enough to try hide her appearance. She vanished back into the bedroom, but left the door open, permitting NICOLE and Shard to step inside. She headed to where the bed was located and proceeded to sat down, drawing her knees up to her chest.

"Sally...," NICOLE began.

"This is all Tarro's fault," the chipmunk declared.

"Sally, you can't honestly believe that," the holo-lynx gasped, shocked by the accusation.

"Shouldn't I? We wouldn't be in this mess if it wasn't for him," she stated, disdain filling her voice.

 _"And what do you think would've happened to Elise had you not come?"_ Shard questioned.

The Princess responded by grabbing her pillow and flinging it at the robotic hedgehog, ricocheting it off his face. This action elicited a growl of annoyance from the android, who decided to keep his mouth shut going forward.

"He's got a point," NICOLE said, crossing her arms, "You'd never forgive yourself if there was something you could've done but chose to do nothing."

Sally remained silent, unable to come up with a retort because it was something that she knew to be true.

"Sally, we need you," she said.

"TO DO WHAT!?" the Princess shouted, her anger boiling over, "I CAN'T EVEN SHOW MY FACE IN PUBLIC BECAUSE I'M THE MOST WANTED PERSON IN THE ENTIRE TERRAN REPUBLIC."

They heard the sound of heavy footfalls coming down the hallway and soon watched as Tarro entered the room. He was clad in only his fundoshi, exuding irritation as he marched over to the bed and seized the chipmunk by the arm.

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!" she shouted.

The Saiyan dragged the princess out of the bedroom, throwing her unceremoniously against the wall in the hallway. The Mobians had emerged from their rooms as a result of the commotion, with Sonic was ready to step in. The only thing that prevented him from interfering was Shard's gesturing for them not to intervene. Sally scrambled back to her feet with balled fists, ready for a fight that would undoubtedly involve violence.

"THIS. STOPS. NOW!" Tarro said, harshness in his voice, "You sit in that room all day wallowing in self-pity. It's not helping anyone."

"AND WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE ME DO!?" she screamed, "I was thrown under the bus by the Council of Acorn."

"GET ANGRY! USE THAT ANGER AND DIRECT IT AT THE ONE RESPONCIBLE!"

"YOUR RIGHT! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! "

The slap was audible, seemingly smothering out the other sounds that filled the narrow hallway.

"Get out," Tarro ordered, much to her surprise, "GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!"

"Okay..., I'm just going to step in here," Korianda declared, intervening before there could be any more violence.

Tarro opened his mouth, but was immediately silenced with a dirty gaze from the girl who was arranged to be his consort. Whirling around, he made for his bedroom, ushering Sly inside who had watched from within the doorway.

"You don't go making accusations like that," Korianda scolded.

Sally opened her mouth to respond, but was quickly silence when the young Saiyan slashed at the air with her hand.

"No! No more talking. Stop wallowing in self-pity and start acting like the leader you need to be."

Saying nothing more, Korianda abruptly turned on the ball of her heel and stalked back to her bedroom.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Exposed

Location: Pukapito Palace

Afternoon...

* * *

Graven Hill had expected to find himself at the King's Residence when he woke up that morning, but imagine his surprise. Emerging from the Quantadyne APOD-33 dropship, he was escorted into the palace by a pair of Royal Guards. The mercenary recruiter knew not what to expect from the meeting, only that King Routhe required his presence. Heading into the climate-controlled interior, Graven could feel the tension that seemed to saturate the air.

"Mr. Hill," King Routhe greeted, as they entered the throne room, "Thank you for coming."

"Of course, sire. How my I be of service?" he inquired.

"I am correct in my knowledge that you are a recruiter of mercenaries?"

"That is indeed correct."

"Excellent. You are no doubt aware of the goings on in Augustgrad?" the King asked, rising from his throne.

"It has come to my attention."

"I have need of your mercenaries."

"Lots of folks ready to fight...for the right price," he stated, earning himself a disapproving look from several of the guards.

"I'll take them...all of them."  
"All of them?" Graven asked, believing he had misheard.

"All of them."

"That's...gonna be pricy, your majesty," he warned.

"It's a small price to pay to ensure that democracy is restored to the Terran Republic," Doran declared.

"Well, it's none of my business to tell you how to spend your credits," the mercenary recruiter said with a shrug of his shoulders, "do you have an intended assignment?"

"I'd like for them to take control of the Central City Speedway. We'll require a foothold in the city for the battle that will inevitable come."

"I understand. If there somewhere private we can retire to, then we can iron out the details of the contracts."

* * *

Location: Central City

Three days later...

* * *

The rhythmic beeping of the numerous machines that her husband was hook up to filled the air around Miranda. She had been on an rollercoaster for the past several days, now she was feeling emotionally drained. Victor was in a coma, one that had been medically induced, but it appeared that he had had some reaction that was preventing him from awakening. Even if he did awaken, the doctors had grimly reported that he would be left a paraplegic. Advancements in medicine had allowed the disabled to walk again, but that didn't make the knowledge any easier to process.

"MOM!" Leon cried out, as he burst into the hospital room.

She opened her mouth to scold the boy, but was silenced when Molly entered the room, a look of concern etched upon her youthful features.

"The King's holding a press conference," she announced, while the boy fiddled with the remote control.

The small television that was suspended from the ceiling came to life, the image of an empty podium appeared on the screen. For days, it had been suspected that Doran Routhe intended to abdicate, although there hadn't been much in terms of evidence. Now however, it appeared that there had in fact been truth to the rumors that had persisted for days.

"With everything that been going on, you'd think that now wouldn't be the best time to abdicate the throne," Miranda stated.

They watched as King Routhe entered the press briefing room, taking a long walk towards the empty podium. They could make out the sound of camera flashes, the occasional question shorted by a reported, but those were ignored by the Terran King.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for coming here today," King Routhe said upon arriving at the podium, "For days, there has been rumors of my intention to abdicate the throne. I wish to clarify that there is no truth to those rumors."

"What was the point of holding a press conference then?" Molly asked, "He could've just issued an official statement.

Her step-daughter's words were seemingly echoed by the reports, who hurled questions directed at the monarch.

"Several days ago, I received classified information from a member of the Special Services, who risked his life to deliver it to me," he continued, silencing the crowd, "this information was taken from the Director of the Internal Security Division - Tamsen Cauley, and details a conspiracy by members of the government against the Mobian population."

The crowd erupted in conversation, but grew silent when a video recording began to play on the two monitors positioned next to the podium. It was security camera footage, showing the ambassador being held within a glass chamber, with Cauley and General Vasillj Tatarin standing by and watching.

"As you can see here, the Ambassador is being subjected to a form of neural resocialization by Director Cauley and General Tatarin, one that operates sub-consciously."

Miranda choked back a gasp, having placed the blame for her husband's predicament squarely upon the princess' shoulders. She had thought the absolute worst of her, and yet they had turned out to be completely unfounded.

"She was innocent...," Miranda said, "my god, she was innocent."

"Ambassador Acorn was acting against her own free will when she attempted to assassinate the Prime Minister. Furthermore, the charges against the Deputy Prime Minister were falsified in order to place the President of the National Assembly in charge, who is secretly a member of Humanity First."

The reaction was exactly what one would expect from such a revelation, with the crowd erupting in a flurry of questions. Her attention was immediately drawn away from the television and to the door, which had suddenly been open to permit a doctor to enter. She recognized the woman as Lisa Cassidy, the doctor who had been treating her husband since the incident.

"Just here to check up on the Prime Minister," she stated, casting the television a glance.

She approached the side of the hospital bed, checking his medical chart, before removing something from the pocket of her lab coat, preparing to inject it directly into his IV.

"Just administering an injection," she replied, "hopefully it will bring him out of his coma."

"Drop it...," an unseen voice ordered.

Everyone present in the room looked about in confusion, until their attention was drawn to the rippling energy of a deactivating cloaking device. Standing directly across from her husband, with an AGR-14 assault rifle trained on the doctor, with a Ghost. The covert operative was a blonde-haired woman, dressed in a standard issue hostile environment suit. Having seen her previously, Miranda immediately recognized the woman as Nova Terra. Dr. Cassidy promptly whirled around, seizing Leon form the couch behind her and held the auto-injector against the boy's neck.

"LEON!" she cried out.

"Get away!" Dr. Cassidy order, "All of you."

"You don't have to do this," Nova urged, watching as Molly backed away reluctantly, joining her step-mother.

"I haven't a choice," she stated, not backing down in the slightest.

"I know that Tatarin's been blackmailing you into keeping the Prime Minister sedated."

"I have an addiction to crab," the woman admitted, "he threatened to release photographic evidence to the media if I didn't cooperate."

"It's over, Dr. Cassidy," she stated, "Humanity First's plans have been publicly exposed."

"It changes nothing," the doctor lamented, "If I don't wind up in prison, then I'll most certainly never be permitted to practice medicine again."

The woman abruptly raised her arm high into the air, threatening to inject the boy with her downward thrust. Nova didn't permit that to happen, instead shooting the woman in the head without a second thought.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Wheels within Wheels

Location: Prime Minister's Residence

Evening...

* * *

It had become abundantly clear to Anthony Godheim, that the situation had spiralled wildly out of control. From the window of the Prime Minister's Office, he could make out the fires that burned out of control. Rioting had erupted throughout the capital, the citizens reacting in outrage following the release of Director Cauley's personal files. The city was still under a state of emergency following the Prime Minister's attempted assassination, which would prevent things from devolving further. Local authorities would enforce it in the name of public safety, but there was no question that they were grappling with the morality.

"Everything is well in hand," Tatarin declared from the corner of the room, much to the acting Prime Minister's dismay.

"Well in hand? WELL IN HAND!?" Godheim shouted, "In case you haven't noticed, the populous is rioting."

General Tatarin shot the President of the National Assembly a dirty look, one that quickly quelled his outrage.

"We can salvage the situation."

"With what? The Supreme Commander is targeting our agents operating within the military as we speak," he warned.

"Winter Protocols have already been enacted," the General stated, "Our remaining forces are gathering at the rendezvous point as we speak. We'll soon know just how much of our forces remain."

"And then what?"

"We'll plan accordingly."

Godheim released a hiss of frustration, the vagueness of his answer meant that it could've been contributed to any number of contingencies.

"...And what of 'His Majesty'?" he asked, contempt filling his voice in regards to the monarch.

"Soleanna will not go unpunished," Tatarin announced, "I've already ordered the Bellerophon to divert its course."

"You're sending a Battlecruiser!?" he asked in disbelief, "what about gathering our remaining forces?"

"One Battlecruiser won't make a difference."

Godheim could've raised his concerns about that belief, but nonetheless decided it was better if he simply kept his mouth shut.

"What about Cauley? We're in this mess because of him."

"We'll figure out where he's hiding and enact a suitable punishment for him."

With that, Tatarin whirled around and departed, leaving him standing alone within the Prime Minister's office. Rising to his feet, Godheim headed for the windows and watched as the General boarded a dropship that was parked outside. He didn't move from his spot until the dropship was airborne, where he approached the holo-projector unit located in the corner of the room. Accessing the inner components, the acting Prime Minister fiddled around inside for several minutes before the unit flared to life. The light defused and coalesced into a glowing image of a man, complete with a lack of any discernible features.

"This connection is unsecure," the faceless man stated.

"I understand," Godheim said, "but we've encountered unforeseen complications."

"...Speak."

"We've been exposed. The ISD director had private files stole and were leaked to the media."

"...Can the situation be salvaged?"

"Unlikely," he admitted, "Subject: Null has proven himself to be...unreliable. He's deviating from his mission."

"Unfortunate...," the man said, "The Terran Republic military was key to our plans. We may need to fall back on the contingency plan?"

"We were able to gather blood from the princess, but I'm not in any position to acquire the samples from the laboratory."

"I'll see to it personally."

"A-are you sure?"

"Are you questing me, Godheim?"

"No sir."

"Subject: Null can still be salvaged, even if this situation has become a lost cause."

With the connection cut on the opposite end, the office was abruptly plunged into suffocating darkness.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Hostile Intentions

Location: Madubin Island

The next day...

* * *

From the edge of the island, Tarro watched as the Behemoth-class Battlecruiser continued its slow, methodical coarse. It was quite apparent that it was General Tatarin who had dispatched it, and the young Saiyan saw the wisdom in his decision. Though it might be viewed as something akin to killing a fly with a rocket launcher, it served its purpose as an instrument of fear. Whirling around, he headed back in the direction of the estate, reaching his destination in under three minutes. The living room was crowded with the Mobians who had taken shelter within his estate, with Sally the only one absent. She was still wallowing in self-pity following their spat days earlier, but now there was no time remaining.

"You need to leave," Tarro declared, stepping through the patio doors.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Amy asked.

"There's a battlecruiser headed in our direction, doubt they're friendly."

"Where exactly are we suppose to go?" Sonic questioned, crossing his arms.

"Mercenaries have seized control of the Central City Speedway," the boy answered, "Shard was able to confirm that they're under orders from King Routhe."

"Looks like the King's taking action," Tails commented.

"What about Sally-girl?" Bunnie asked with obvious concern.

"I'll handle it."

"What's going on?" Korianda asked, entering the room.

"Have everyone move into the shelter," he instructed, "We've got a battlecruiser inbound."

"Wonderful..."

"Get Adria up here and have her escort our guests to the transerver chamber."

The girl departed without another word, while Tarro proceeded down an adjacent hallway that led to the bedrooms. NICOLE was standing outside the door to Sally's room, a frown forming on the holographic lynx's face.

"You're not planning on causing trouble, are you?" she asked as he approached.

"That's up to her. There's a battlecruiser on approach, you've all got to leave."

"Can't guarantee our safety?"

"Not willing to risk your safety," he corrected, banging on the door.

"GO AWAY!" Sally yelled from the other side.

The building was suddenly rocked by a series explosions, most likely from the B2-C 75 pound concussion bombs being deployed by several Grizzlys.

"Goddamn bastards are destroying my house," the boy cursed angrily.

Tarro took a step backwards and kicked the door in without any warning, causing the doorframe to splinter. The door swung open with such speed that the doorknob became buried in the way, preventing it from being closed.

"WHAT THE HELL!?" both women cried out in unison.

"We don't have time for this," Tarro stated, strolling into the room, "You know what's headed in our direction, you can't remain here."

That declaration did little to spur the Princess into action, who proceeded lay back down and rolling over.

"What's the point...," the chipmunk muttered.

"Sally, for god sake...," NICOLE began.

Tarro seized the Mobian by the wrist and dragged her from the bed, dumping her onto the hardwood floor.

"You know what: No one can help you, if you're not willing to help yourself."

The boy immediately leapt forward, landing atop the dresser and launching himself through the closed window. He shattered the windowpane upon impact, shower the ground outside with shards of broken glass. It was fortunate that he was wearing shoes, otherwise he would've slashed up his feet quite severely. The battlecruiser had obviously made a tactical jump, as it was now within striking distance of the island. A Grizzly soared out from behind the tree line, its Hellsworn 30mm flack cannons swivelling to target him. It immediately opened fire on him, the bullets creating large furrows into the soft ground, but completely missing their target. Tarro landed on the cockpit of the fighter-bomber, punching his way through the canopy and dragging the pilot out. Tossing the man over the side, he leapt down from the aircraft as it listed to one side, crashing into the island's rocky shoreline. There were survivors onboard, but that was easily rectified by blowing the vessel up with a Ki blast. He immediately refocused his attention to the battlecruiser, which held position just off the coast of the island. The fact that it hadn't fired upon the island with its Yamato Canon was nothing short of a miracle, but he doubted the commander would continue to remain that complacent. Stretching out his arm, Tarro pointed his index and middle fingers directly at the vessel, causing it to detonate in an explosion. Large chunks of the battlecruiser landed in the waters, the resulting tidal wave slamming against the coastline. The water rolled inland, saturating the ground and leaving his clothes completely drenched when it crashed into him, but he managed to stand his ground. The remaining Grizzlys wisely chose to retreat, the destruction of the battlecruiser was more then enough to instil fear in them. Heading into the foliage, Tarro made his way to a concrete bunker where the Mobians had already gathered, including Ebony and Pyjamas. There was a young woman standing with them, dressed in a sleeveless top of black leather with matching pants and boots. Her black hair was worn in a bob-style, with dyed streaks of bright red running throughout it.

"'bout time," Sonic commented, "What was all that racket?"

"Me...blowing up a battlecruiser," he replied.

"Wait...what?" Tails asked.

"You heard me correctly the first time."  
He approached the control panel for the blast doors and went about gaining access to the interior while Adria stood guard.

"Finally decided to get up?" Tarro asked, glancing at Sally.

"Well you were right," she stated, "I have to be willing to help myself."

The machinery groaned to life as the blast door slowly slid away allowing them entry and shelter from the battle raging across the island. The bunker was surprisingly cavernous with electronic equipment scattered about, while a large platform was situated directly in the center.

"Get on," Tarro ordered the group.

The Mobians complied with the order and climbed atop the platform while Tarro walked over to a nearby computer console, with Adria manning another.

 **TRANSERVER ONLINE...**

 **ACCESSING NETWORK...COMPLETE...**

 **SCANNING TRANSERVER GRID...**

 **-SCANNING MAR SARA BEACONS...-ERROR DETECTED-**

 **-ERROR DETECTED WITH CENTRAL CITY BEACON...**

 **-ERROR DETECTED WITH CITY CENTER BEACON...**

 **-ERROR DETECTED WITH BEACON HILL BEACON...**

 **-ERROR DETECTED WITH JACKSON HEIGHTS BEACON...**

 **-ERROR DETECTED WITH COAL HARBOUR BEACON...**

 **-UPLINK** **ESTABLISHED** **UPLINK** **WITH BACKWATER STATION BEACON...**

 **-UPLINK ESTABLISHED WITH BORAL** **BEACON...**

 **-UPLINK ESTABLISHED WITH LOS ANDREAS** **BEACON...**

 **-UPLINK ESTABLISHED WITH ANTHEM** **BEACON...**

 **-SCANNING CHAU SARA BEACONS...** **UPLINK ESTABLISHED** **...**

 **-SCANNING DIAMOND HILLS BEACONS...** **UPLINK ESTABLISHED** **...**

 **-SCANNING ASH'ARAK BEACONS...** **UPLINK ESTABLISHED** **...**

 **-SCANNING KORHAL BEACONS...** **UPLINK ESTABLISHED** **...**

 **-SCANNING UMOJA BEACONS...** **UPLINK ESTABLISHED** **...**

 **-SCANNING TORSONIS BEACONS...** **UPLINK ESTABLISHED** **...**

 **-SCANNING HALCYON BEACONS...** **UPLINK ESTABLISHED** **...**

 **-SCANNING TYRADOR BEACONS...** **UPLINK ESTABLISHED** **...**

 **PLEASE ENTER COORDINATES OR DESTINATION...**

"SHIT!" the boy cursed, "I'm not getting a response from the beacons in Central City."

"You're sending us to Central City? That's a terrible idea," Amy stated.

"As I've said: 'Mercenaries have seized control of the Central City Speedway', you'll be safer with them then you would remaining here.

"Why not just send us back to Mobotropolis?" Sonic questioned.

"Because you're needed here," he replied, "never mind the fact that this isn't set up to teleport outside Augustgrad."

"What aren't you telling us?" Rotor asked.

"You may feel some slight discomfort," the boy warned, ignoring the question, "your physical form will be digitized and converted into data to allow for the teleport."

"Wait! Will we be in any danger?" Tails asked with concern.

"No. There are safety measures in place," Adria stated.

"It's basically the same as your Particle-To-Light Organizer and Transporter Device," Tarro replied, "but you'll be transported to a different location rather then cyberspace. The closest I can get you to the Central City Speedway is Backwater Station. I'll inform Shard of where you'll be."

He stabbed at the Y key with his index finger causing a large ring rose up from the floor, while the platform began to pulsate with a white light, alarms began blaring throughout the bunker.

"Coordinates locked. Transferring in 3...2..."

"I'll be along as soon as I can," Tarro declared.

"...1..."

The group was teleported away in a flash of white light as the Transerver began to power down, the ring descending to the floor.

"What now?" Adria asked.

"Ready the ship for launch," he ordered, "I've got training to do in the meantime."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Escalation

Location: Pukapito Palace

That same time...

* * *

They had identified the approaching battlecruiser as the Leviathan, named as such due to it being a Leviathan-class vessel. An outdated model, it had been rendered obsolete by the fielding of the Behemoth-class and those that had supplanted it. Stepping back inside the palace, Elise found that it was a hive of activity, with the Royal Guards suited up in their gleaming silver Heavy Infantry Armour. Its design was based on the CMC-400 Powered Combat Suit fielded by the military, but utilised exclusively by the Royal Guards.

"I want the Beatles ready to launch when I give the signal," King Routhe ordered, "I'll be along shortly."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Captain Veers replied, departing immediately.

"The answer is no, Elise," he said, "You can't come."

"But father..."

"No buts. It's far too dangerous, and I need you here in case I don't return."

Elise opened her mouth to protest, but shut her mouth when she felt a hand place itself upon her shoulder. She glanced back, finding her mother standing behind her, a look of disapproval etched upon her face. She understood what had to be done, but that didn't mean that she approve of her husband putting himself in harm's way.

"This is something that he must do," she stated, kindness in her voice.

Her shoulders slumped as she let out a sigh, realizing that arguing about it was putting everyone in jeopardy.

"Just come home, father...," she muttered.

The King stepped closer, cupping her face within his callused hands and kissing her lovingly on her forehead.

"You have my word."

Watching as her father departed, Elise and Aleena were promptly escorted the emergency shelter by members of the Oculi; an elite unit of the Royal Guard.

* * *

Location: The Lennon

Ten minutes later...

* * *

Rising out of the drydocks hidden beneath the waters surrounding Pukapito Palace, the Lennon was joined by the Starr, the Harrison, and the McCartney. King Routhe stood on the bridge, eyes focused upon the slow approach of the Leviathan-class battlecruiser.

"Sire, we've got reports that the General Lee has successfully docked," reported one of the crew members on the bridge.

"Excellent. I want shields up and all weapon systems brought online," he instructed, "And get me an open channel to Professor Thorndyke, I wish to speak with him."

While he waited, he watched as the bridge crew went about their assigned duties, musing over why Tatarin would chose to dispatch a single battlecruiser.

"Connection established, Sire."

"Professor Thorndyke, can you read me?" he asked.

"You're coming in clear, Your Majesty."

"Have you managed to make it to your vessel?"

"We have. We we're just prepping the X-Tornado for launch when we discovered a surveillance device," Chuck reported, "I'm trying to remove it as we speak."

"Understood. There's no need to hurry," he reminded, "we'll move to intercept the Leviathan-class before it can get any closer to the city."

"Acknowledged, Your Majesty."

"Helmsman, divert power to the engines, and put us on an intercept course. And somebody pull up schematics of the Leviathan-class."

"Aye aye, Sire," a voice said.

The Terran King felt subtle rumbling of the Lennon increased dramatically, pushing the vessel away from Soleanna. The Starr, Harrison, and McCartney followed suit, falling in behind the lead vessel as it headed in the direction of the Leviathan. Once they had reached the Soleanna Forest Zone, the vessels made a tactical jump to cut off its approach. The Leviathan-class had undergone a weapons retrofit, which had installed Plasma Torpedoes onto the bow. He quickly understood that Tatarin had planned to burn Soleanna to the ground, but he hadn't anticipated that he had access to Gorgon-class battlecruisers. The crew onboard the Leviathan clearly couldn't decide on which vessel the ATA laser batteries were to focus fire on, instead firing at random. Each of the Gorgons activated a Defensive Matrix, thereby mitigating whatever damage the vessel would've sustained.

"Target those ATA laser batteries," King Routhe ordered, "We need to neutralize it, and where are those schematics?"

"Right here, Sire," the ship's Captain declared.

The holo-table came to life, projecting a wireframe image of the Leviathan-class battlecruiser for him to study.

"These old Leviathan-class have a fundamental flaw in their design," the Captain stated, "the vessel's hydraulic ports are located perilously close to the bridge, making it vulnerable to enemy boarding."

"That'll work in our favor," Routhe said, "if we can get our forces onboard, then we could seize control of the vessel."

"What about those convicts?" the Captain asked, "They might be of use to us."

"Perhaps...," he began.

"Sire, I've detected another ship warping in," another crewmember reported.

The wireframe image of Leviathan being projected by the holo-table was quickly replaced with the image of a Super-class battlecruiser.

"IFF identifies the vessel as the DSS Aleksander."

"DuGalle? What in the world is he doing here?" questioned the King.

 _"Leviathan Commander, this is Vice Admiral Alexei Stukov,"_ a voice stated, his accent betraying his Eastern Europe ancestry, _"You are hereby ordered to lower your shields and power down you weapon systems. If you do not comply, then we will be forced to open fire."_

"Does the Vice Admiral really believe that they'll just surrender?" the Captain questioned.

"One can hope."

The Leviathan suddenly proceeded forward, intent on colliding with one of the Gorgons had the Aleksander not immediately targeted two the vessel's engines. With the battlecruiser disabled but still airborne, the Aleksander deployed Tac Fighters and a pair of Dropships. It was very likely that Stukov had come to the same idea of sending a boarding party to seize control of the vessel.

"Sire, the Aleksander is hailing us," the communications officer informed.

"Patch him through," he ordered.

Appearing on the screen was a bearded man, dressed in a black and gold military uniform with a cap covering his head.

 _"Your Majesty,"_ he greeted, _"It would appear that you've been keeping secrets."_

"Can you really blame me for taking precautions?" he asked.

 _"I will not look a gift horse in the mouth,"_ the Vice Admiral stated, _"we may have need of those Gorgons you've secretly been constructing."_

"What the situation in the capital, Vice Admiral?"

 _"Not good. Humanity First has stationed four battlecruisers over Central City. Tatarin's threatening to destroy the city should we attempt to stage an assault."_

"I hope you managed to put together some sort of plan..."

 _"It's...a work in progress,"_ he admitted.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Rebel Call

Location: Mar Sara

Evening...

* * *

With his green eyes looking skyward, Sonic couldn't shake the sense of foreboding at seeing four battlecruisers holding position over Central City. The group had positioned themselves on a hill that overlooked Jackson Heights, the streets having become noticeably deserted. It was hardly that surprising a development, especially with the city having been turned into a battleground.

"That's...not good," Tails muttered, echoing the hedgehog's thoughts.

"Why dump us here?" Sonic questioned, "Why not just send us back to Mobotropolis?"

"He might not have been able to," Rotor stated.

"And what would running accomplish?" Sally asked from atop a nearby boulder, a despondent look on her face.

Despite how alluring the idea of running away might be, it would do little to solve the problem that they faced. If those loyal to the Terran Republic lost the fight, then there would be no one to stop Humanity First from punishing the Mobian population.

"And what if they declared war against the Republic of Acorn?" Amy asked, suddenly bringing that thought to the forefront.

"We should probably head for the speedway," Tails suggested, "We're asking for trouble if we just stand around."

"I thought Shard was suppose to meet us," Sonic said.

"Given the situation...," Rotor began.

Whatever the Walrus was going to say was quickly drowned out by the sound of a engine, causing them to direct their attention skyward. They watched as the renegade Metal Sonic sailed over the hill, landing before the gathered Mobians.

"'Bout time you showed up," commented the hedgehog.

"Sorry. The military was forced to repel an assault on the speedway," he stated.

"Are things as bad as they look?" Tails asked.

"Worse. General Warfield can't get any air support to deal with those battlecruisers."

"Why is that?" Rotor inquired.

"Because the Supreme Commander doesn't want to endanger innocent civilians."

"Makes sense," NICOLE admitted, "Tatarin has essentially taken the entire city hostage, using those battlecruisers as a deterrent."

"And nobody wants to be the one responsible for causing one of those battlecruisers to come crashing down on one of the districts," Shard added.

"That's a terrifying thought," Amy admitted, shuddering from the mental image.

"We should get a move on," Ebony suggested.

Pushing off from the boulder, the Princess was about to stroll off when she spotted an APC pulled to a stop on the road below them. The new arrival quickly gained the attention of her companions, who quickly made an effort to hide in the nearby foliage. Emerging for the vehicle were three marines clad in Powered Combat Suits, with one painted in desert camouflage.

"We're good," Shard declared, "It's Warfield."

The Mobians emerged from hiding as the marines ascended the hillside, stopping once they had reached the top. The turquoise visor of the General's Command Suit lifted, revealing the face of a dark-skinned man, his moustache and hair both heavy with grey.

"Ambassador, it is good to see that both you and your companions are well," he stated, his voice radiating authority.

The statement couldn't be further from the truth, but her attempt to point that out was quickly stopped by Shard.

"I was under the impression you weren't making the trip because of the raid," the renegade Metal Sonic said.

"You thought incorrectly," Warfield said to the robot, "We'd best get you to safety, come along."

They followed the General and his companions down the hill to the roadside, quickly boarding the Armoured Personnel Carrier.

* * *

Location: Central City Speedway

Fifteen minutes later...

* * *

Passing through the gates of the raceway, the APC pulled to a stop and allowed its passengers to disembark. As Sonic emerged, he discovered that it had been transformed into a forward command base, with numerous military buildings having been rapidly constructed. It was known fact that the Terran military buildings were capable of 'lifting off', thereby making relocation a breeze. General Warfield and his two companions were the last to disembark, removing a large weight off the vehicle's suspension.

"Follow me," the General instructed, marching in the direction of a vaguely mushroom-shaped building.

The Mobians promptly followed, stepping into the structure that amounted to a roving resource processor. The Operations Room was crowded with numerous officers, each one monitoring a specific situation. They all ceased what they were doing the moment the General entered, their attention abruptly focusing on the new arrivals. Sally felt every Terran in the room suddenly shift their gaze onto her, causing a feeling of discomfort wash over her.

"Don't you people have actual duties to attend to?" Warfield questioned, causing those present to suddenly return to their tasks.

The General issued a command to those stationed at the command island, his armoured feet thumping against the Neosteel flooring. The holo-projector lit up as they approached, coalescing into the imposing image of Edward Routhe.

"Ambassador, it's good to see that you are safe," he said, choosing his words carefully.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," she said, her words lacking any real emotion.

"You'll be relieved to know that the Prime Minister has been moved to a secure medical facility in Umoja," the King reported.

"One of Tatarin's agents in the hospital was ordered to eliminate Carmichael," Warfield explained, "Agent X41822N was dispatched by Supreme Commander DuGalle to protect him when I shared details of Tatarin's conspiracy."

"What happened to the assassin?" Amy asked.

"Killed," Routhe replied, "Dr. Lisa Cassidy took the Prime Minister's step-son hostage, forcing Agent X41822N to use lethal force."

None of the Mobians understood who this Agent X41822N was, their minds focused on a more immediate concern.

"Is Leon alright?" Sonic asked.

"A bit shaken, but otherwise unhurt," answered the King.

"I do hope you and Vice Admiral Stukov have come up with some sort of plan," Warfield commented, "We're sitting ducks down here."

"You can rest easy," Routhe said, "We've got a plan."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Illumination

Location: Research Station EB-103

Early morning...

* * *

The blonde-haired man sat within the cramped interior of the V-22 Osprey, his blue eyes studying the six soldiers that were lined up in front of him. Each individual had encased themselves in a suit of mechanized armour, making them uniformed and faceless. The suits were all relics of a time that had long since passed, but that didn't mean they were obsolete. Designed for a verity of combat engagements, they were still more advance then anything being fielded by the Terrans. They had appropriated several suits from storage, reverse engineering them to develop their inferior Powered Combat Suits.

 _"Arrival in t-minus thirty seconds,"_ reported the pilot.

One of the soldiers immediately climbed to his feet and removed his helmet, turning to address his comrades-in-arm.

"The mission is simple; secure the biological samples being stored at a Science Facility," he reminded, "Sanitization Protocols are in effect."

 _"LZ is hot,"_ warned the pilot, _"Expect heavy resistance."_

They heard the sound of bullets ricocheting off the hull of the aircraft, which banked to avoid anti-aircraft fire.

"Sir, it would be best if you remain onboard until we've had a chance to secure the LZ," the Commander suggested.

"Understood, Commander," the blonde-haired man said.

The VTOL touched down roughly, and the soldiers immediately disembarked when the doors were thrown open, armed with laser rifles. The island in which Research Station EB-103 had been established was shrouded in the darkness of the jungle, but that was cut away by beams of crimson light. Squad Sigma was an elite unit, undisputed in their ability to overcome even the most difficult of challenges. There came a break in the fighting only minutes after disembarking, signalling that the landing zone had been cleared. He remained seated, waiting until one of the soldiers suddenly appeared within the hatchway before rising.

"LZ is secured," the soldiers reported.

"Excellent," he said, retrieving a plasma rifle from the overhead storage racks.

Disembarking from the VTOL, he dropped to the ground and followed the trooper in the direction of a bulbous structure. Those stationed outside the facility now lay dead, further cementing Squad Sigma's reputation of lethal efficiency. They passed the bodies of several Cerberus Troopers, their armour having failed to protect the individual wearing it. It had been manufactured on the cheap, providing less protection then the Terran-designed Powered Combat Suits. They reached the Science Facility moments later, the remainder of Squad Sigma having taken up position near the entrance. One of the squad members was in the process of bypassing the electronic lock by the time they arrived, causing a ramp to descend. The soldiers entered the structure ahead of him, clearing out the guards that had taken up position at the entrance. Gunfire assaulted his ears, while bolts of laser fire seared themselves into his vision as he entered the building. Rising his Plasma Rifle, he squeezed off a shot and promptly reduced the nearest trooper into a pile of green goo. Members of the squad separated, conducting a room by room search and executing anyone that they came across. The blonde-haired man continued his match through the narrow hallway, his long strides covering plenty of ground. Wielding his weapon with one hand, he shot a trooper who had emerged from an adjacent room, barely slowing down. Reaching one of the secure labs, Mr. Blonde bypassed electronic lock with the codes provided to him by Anthony Godheim. The doors slid apart with a audible hiss, and he stepped into a research laboratory that was overly sterile. It was occupied by several scientists, including an older man with a high forehead, and dressed in a lab coat.

"Dr. Stanley Burgess," he said, discarding the Plasma Rifle as he strolled into the room.

"Who the hell are you!?" he demanded.

"Who I am, is of no concern of yours," he stated, "It is what you have something that I require."

"And what might that be?"

"The blood samples you took from the Princess, where are they?"

"Like I'd tell you,"

The blonde-haired man immediately reached into his white coat and produced a pistol, shooting the doctor in the head without hesitation. Blood and brain matter splattered onto the wall and equipment behind him, stunning the remaining scientists.

"Anyone else wishes to disagree?" he asked.

When no one dared to respond, he repeated his question to one of the other scientists; a young woman with red hair.

"There...There in the fridge," she stammered.

The scientists were understandably nervous, mostly because they had been conscripted against their will by Humanity First. He cared little about them, in his eyes they were aberrations who would be purged once they had reclaimed the planet. He caught a glimpse of two members from Squad Sigma suddenly entered the chamber, training the scientists with their laser rifles.

"Excellent, and where might the samples be listed under?" he asked.

"They've been marked with the number 09-1819-93," the scientist answered, "Please, you must let us go."

Ignoring the woman's pleas, he approached the refrigerator and slid the door open, unconcerned with being shot. Finding the samples that he was looking for, he grabbed a nearby case and began placing each of the nine vials inside of a refrigerated case. Once they had been properly secured, he pushed down the top portion of the case into the unit and locked it. Upon switching on the device, he felt it hum to life, thereby preventing the blood samples from spoiling.

"A pleasure doing business with you," he declared as he headed for the door.

"Please, you said you'd let us go!" the woman cried out.

"I made no such promise," Mr. Blonde corrected, "Execute them."

The two soldiers raised their Laser Rifles without hesitation and opened fire, cutting off the screams of the scientists. Exiting the chamber, he found himself greeted by the Squad Commander, whose helmet he had removed.

"Facility has been secured," he reported.

"Good," the blonde-haired man said, "Initiate the facility's self-destruct sequence."

"Understood."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Ascension

Location: Eredas Estate

That evening...

* * *

Due to the unstable nature of the dimension, Tarro had been able to get two week's worth of training in only a handful of hours. Conceivably, he could spend a year inside and only a day would've passed, but the lack of supplies made the attempt impossible. Surrounded by the blinding whiteness, the boy lay sprawled upon the floor, clad in the tattered remains of his red training Gi. His chest heaved with each breath, while his body was covered in a glossy sheen of perspiration. Another element of the dimension, was the fluctuations in temperature, which ranged from -40°C to 50°C. Despite his best efforts, he had been unsuccessful in achieving the transformation into the legendary warrior. He could feel frustration only increasing, even though he distinctly remembered having unlocked the form. That was before the collapse of the multiverse, and his memories of such events had steadily been overwritten. Having finally caught his breath, the boy climbed to his feet, heading back in the direction of the dimension's central building. As his bare feet come into contact with the tiled floor of the plaza, he immediately felt a chill pass through his body. The first thing he noticed was that Sly was nowhere to be found, which immediately became a concern. Closing his dark eyes, Tarro focused his senses and located his younger brother within the sleeping quarters. He promptly headed for the room, finding the amethyst-skinned toddler seated amongst the bed sheets. The child was clutching his head in obvious pain, and the older boy immediately headed over to the toddler.

"Headache?" he asked.

Sly nodded his head, wincing in pain when the act alone inadvertently caused it to increase tenfold. Approaching the bed, Tarro pried the young Dovahkiir's hand away and placed his own against the boy's forehead. He could tell that Sly was running a fever, and he immediately headed in the direction of the bathroom. The young Saiyan retrieved a bottle of chewable aspirin tablets from the medicine cabinet, returning to his younger brother. He accepted the medicine without a single complaint, despite the fact it happened to be grape-flavoured and popped it into his mouth. He chewed slowly and then swallowed, grimacing when the medicine made contact with his taste buds. He wasn't a fan of either grapes nor medicine, with grape-flavoured medicine being the worst of both worlds.

"Get some rest," Tarro stated, "hopefully you'll be better when you wake up."

He expected the boy to argue with him, instead he crawled to the head of the bed and slipped beneath the blankets. The Saiyan took a seat on the edge of the bed, stripping down to his fundoshi, before he set the alarm clock. He slipped under the covers as well, Sly wasting no time in cuddling up next to his adoptive older brother. While the young Dovahkiir drifted off to sleep relatively quickly, Tarro soon discovered that sleep was something that he couldn't easily achieve. He couldn't understand what he was doing wrong, why he couldn't transform into the legendary warrior. He remembered being able to do so, before the fabric of reality had been abused by Eggman and Wily. Concluding that fuming in the darkness would accomplish nothing, he closed his eyes and allowed unconsciousness to take him.

* * *

Location: Eredas Estate

Three hours later...

* * *

Sly awoke feeling better then he had been, finding himself lying halfway out of the bed, his legs dangling over the side. The only thing that had prevented him from being on the floor had been his brother's arm, which was held against the younger boy's chest. In desperate need of relieving himself, Sly squirmed out from beneath his Tarro's arm and padded over to the bathroom. Unleashing a raging torrent into the porcelain bowl, the boy returned to the bedroom and found his brother sitting up in bed.

"You're looking better," Tarro stated.

The boy nodding his head, climbing onto the end of the bed and crawling over the covers before settling next to his brother. He noticed the device held in the older boy's hands, which resembled a tablet but had a clear screen.

"What's dat?" the boy asked.

"It's called an Omni-Viewer," he replied, fiddling with the control knobs, "I can peer into alternate realities with it."

The device emitted a bunch of garbled noise and static, but Sly was sure he could make out a few scattered words. Twisting the knobs, the snow-filled screen resolved itself, displaying the image of a landscape of deep canyons beneath a purple sky. There was a man and a woman standing within the shadow of the high cliffs, engaged in conversation. Their appearance and demeanor told the older boy that they were Saiyans, but it was the young man's armour that was the most obvious indicator. He abruptly transformed, with his spiky black hair taking on a golden-blonde colouration, while his eyes turned green.

 _"This is Super Saiyan,"_ he stated.

 _"I can feel amazing power!"_ the woman cried out, _"Hurry up and teach me too! C'mon! C'mon!"_

The young Saiyan appeared freaked out by her reaction, stepping backwards and reverting back to his base form.

 _"I only recently learned from a man named Vegeta,"_ he stammered, _"I'm not sure how to explain this sensation to you, Caulifla. Well, let's give it a shot."_

 _"Okay,"_ she said.

 _"B-blockhead..."_

 _"What?!"_ Caulifla demanded.

 _"Um, well...you dummy."_

 _"What? Are you messin' with me?"_

She took several threatening steps forward, literally forcing the other Saiyan to bend over backwards.

 _"Er, um. I'm not messing with you,"_ he said, trying to calm the hostile woman down, _"Um. Is anything different?"_

 _"Like what?"_

 _"I was trying to draw the energy of you anger."_

 _"You were trying to make me mad with that?"_ she asked, clearing dumbfounded.

 _"You were mad, right?"_

 _"What?!"_

 _"I'm sorry."_

 _"Are you mad whenever you transform too?"_

 _"Uh, no. once you're use to it, if you focus your strength in your back around here...,"_ he explained, turning around a pointing to an area located between his shoulder-blades.

 _"Then teach me that."_

 _"You can't do it right away."_

 _"Huh?"_

 _"You've never focused your strength here all tingly-like, have you?"_ he asked, clenching his fists and seemingly causing his spiky hair to twitch about.

 _"Of course not,"_ Caulifla replied.

She abruptly clutched her fists, hunching over and focusing her strength, just as she had been shown. Her shaggy black hair trembled as she let out a growl, a golden aura forming briefly at the same time her eyes turned green. Caulifla let out a roar, her body becoming enveloped in the golden aura, while her hair turned golden-blonde.

 _"Just like that! Like that, like that!"_

She was clearly having difficulty maintaining the transformation, and reverted back when she let out another roar.

 _"How's that?"_ she asked, after a moment, _"I made it pretty tingly-like!"_

 _"That was great! Try it again!"_ the man encouraged.

 _"Okay, all tingly-like."_

She repeated the same process as before, but this time she had taken on a calmer demeanor then the first time. Letting out another roar, she transformed again, this time managing to maintain the transformation.

 _"You did it! Amazing. I can't believe you mastered it so fast."_

 _"Not bad,"_ she said, a smug look on her face.

"Looks like there another way of achieving the legendary transformation," Tarro stated, immediately deactivated the device.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Critical Mass

Location: Central City Speedway

The next day...

* * *

The blaring sirens drove Sally from what had been a less then restful night's sleep, sending her from the tent that he been her sleeping quarters. Stepping outside, the Princess found the entire raceway on alert, soldiers scrambling to defend their position.

"Aunt Sally!" Tails cried out, running up to her.

"What's going on?" she asked, having to raise her voice over the sirens.

"They're launching an attack."

Sally opened her mouth to question what the young fox meant, but received an answer when one of the perimeter Missile Turrets launched a Longbolt Missile. Streaking through the air, the missile slammed into the cockpit of a Grizzly as it attempted a bombing run. The pilot was killed instantly from the missile impact, while the craft's nose dipped as it lost altitude. The Grizzly crashed nose first into the tarmac, flipping over as it slid across the ground on its roof. It came to a rest near a set of bleachers moments later, with Republic Loyalists quickly surrounding the downed aircraft. Nobody emerged from the wreckage, which either meant that there had been no passengers or they had all died in the resulting crash. Goliath Walkers had been hastily deployed, taking out any more enemy aircraft that attempted an attack run.

"Where are the others?" Sally demanded.

"They've taken shelter in the building that houses the commentator's booth," Tails said, leading the way.

As the pair raced in the direction of the building, some of the bombers got through, dropping B2-C 75 pound concussion bombs on the area. One of the ordinance landed nearby, the force of the detonation causing them to be thrown across the tarmac. Tails landed on his shoulder, pain lancing through the limb with such intensity that he nearly blacked out from it. Scrambling to her feet, the chipmunk grabbed the twin-tailed fox by the arm and dragged him to an overturned Hellion.

"AHH! WATCH THE ARM!" Tails hissed.

Sally issued an apology, but it was drowned out by the sound of an aircraft passing directly overhead. She knew they were sitting ducks, but the moment they attempted to relocate to a safer position they'd leave themselves expose. A passing AH/G-24 Banshee swooped above them, its port-side turbofan exploding from a direct hit from a pursuing Viking. The aircraft corkscrewed through the air as it lost altitude, impacting with the ground and flipping end over end. Both could only watch in horror as the vehicle cart-wheeled, its momentum carrying it directly at them. Ebony quickly teleported directly in front of the pair and began to weave a spell, generating a bubble around them. The Banshee slammed into the bubble with bone-breaking force, but it wasn't enough to halt its momentum. It rolled up and over them, before landing on the opposite side of the Hellion and continuing forward.

"ARE YOU ALRIGHT?" the feline inquired.

"You're timing is impeccable," Sally announced.

"We have to get out of the open," Tails said, stating the obvious.

"I've used up too much mana coming to your aid," the black cat admitted.

The chipmunk looked around, hoping to see Sonic rushing to their aid, but the only thing she saw was the battle that raged all around them. Hearing the roar of approaching engines, the trio was immediately concerned that more enemy aircrafts were inbound. Instead, they quickly discovered that it was Bunnie and Shard who were rushing to their position. The cyborg rabbit immediately grabbed for Sally and flew off, while the renegade Metal Sonic picked up Tails and carried him to safety. Gathering what little mana she had left, Ebony made a series of rapid teleports that got her out of the combat zone.

"Are you alright?" Rotor asked.

"This isn't how I imagined our diplomatic mission to end," Sally stated, casting her gaze skyward.

Loyalist forces had scrambled whatever aircraft were available to meet the enemy, but it was quickly becoming apparent they were on the losing side of the battle.

* * *

Location: The Doomfist

That same time...

* * *

Holding position over Coal Harbour, the crew of the Super-class Battlecruiser awaited the moment when they could lay waste to the district. Commodore Akande Ogundimu watched the battle unfold at the raceway, aircraft filling the airspace like a swarm of angry bees. Granting amnesty to the Mobians had caused a divide within Terran society, and Humanity First sought to mend that rift. A divided house could not stand, and now more then ever the Terran Republic needed to be united.

"Commodore, I'm picking up a vessel warping in," an officer reported.

"Fools...," the dark-skinned man muttered, "They've just signed their own death warrants."

They watched as a Leviathan-class Battlecruiser emerged from warp space, which left Commodore Ogundimu confused. He had been under the assumption that the Leviathan had been dispatched to Soleanna, so its abrupt appearance came as a surprise. Emergency klaxons suddenly activated when the vessel made no attempt to slow down or change course, alerting them of an emanate collision. The alert had nearly come too late, with Commodore Ogundimu barely able to issue the warning.

"BRACE FOR IMPACT!"

The two vessels collided, with the Leviathan tearing into the stern of the Doomfist and taking out an engine. Screams echoed throughout the bridge, with those crewmembers unfortunate enough to be standing being thrown violently to the floor. Akande was one such individual, smashing his baldhead against a nearby computer terminal.

"TURN OFF THOSE DAMN ALARMS!" Commodore Ogundimu ordered, raising his voice above the emergency klaxons.

He wiped the blood from his face and looked towards the viewport, quickly deducing that the Doomfist had been forced out of position. Control of the Leviathan had clearly been seized by the King's forces, enabling them to catch them by surprise.

"STATUS REPORT!" he demanded.

"Multiple causalities," someone shouted.

"We've got fires across multiple decks."

"Systems are non-responsive."

"The Doomfist is losing altitude. Estimated time of impact; seven minutes."

"Well played...," Commodore Akande admitted.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Fray

Location: Eredas Estate

Seven minutes later...

* * *

Reported by UNN, Inari watched as two Battlecruisers descended from the sky, splashing down in the waters that surrounded Coal Harbour. Already the district's low-lying areas were becoming flooded, and who knew how many people would perish. Knowing that Tarro needed to be informed, the boy quickly left the family room in search of the older Saiyan. The inhabitants of the estate were still in bed, so he didn't have to look very hard before he found him. He lay buried beneath the covers of his bed, while Sly lay atop the sheets, shameless in his nakedness. The youngster was hanging halfway off the bed, with only his brother's arm secured around his chest kept him from ending up on the floor. Stepping into the bedroom, Inari was quick to take a few brief seconds to glanced around the interior. The room consisted of a king-sized bed occupying the majority of the space, with a smaller bed located at the foot of the larger one. That bed normally went unused by Sly, instead preferring to share the bed of his adoptive brother.

"Tarro...," Inari whispered, gently trying to shake him awake.

"M'wake...," the older boy grumbled.

He opened one eyes and immediately focused itself onto the younger Saiyan, taking notice that he was still in just his fundoshi.

"What is it," he groaned, shifting beneath the bed sheets.

All the commotion had caused Sly to abruptly awaken, who glanced around the room in general bewilderment.

"There's fighting in the capital."

This announcement immediately caused Tarro to fully awaken, prompting him to sit up within the bed. Reaching over to the nightstand, he snatched a TV remote from off its surface and turned on the television that sat in the corner. It was automatically set to UNN, with the morning news anchor reporting on the outbreak in violence in Central City. The recording of the two battlecruisers crashing into the harbour was being replayed, which filled the younger boy with unease.

"That's not something you see every day," he admitted, "The good news is that they've opened a hole in their defences, the bad news is now there's nothing preventing those other Battlecruisers from opening fire upon the city."

"What now?" he asked.

"Time to get involved."

"NO!" Sly shouted, "You no go."

The Dovahkiir child was on his feet, staring defiantly at the brother who had adopted him with those brown eyes of his.

"Sly...," Tarro began, looking past the boy and focusing on the television set.

At some point, several Battlecruisers had suddenly warped in and immediately attacked the Humanity First aligned vessels. They were ganging up on the enemy ships, specifically focusing on taking out the weapon systems and engines.

"Listen, little brother. All those people are in need of help and I'm the only one capable of doing so."

Sly gave his brother a dubious look, his resolve wavering slightly, but enough to get him to budge completely.

"They've just taken out a Minotaur-class," Inari announced.

Turning back towards the TV, he watched as the burning visage of a Minotaur-class Battlecruiser being tractored away to be dumped into the river. The ship had been stationed above Jackson Heights, and it appeared it had attempted to crash itself into the district.

"I know you must be frightened, but I promise I'll be back before you know it."

"No...," he whimpered, "No you won't."

Having no friends of his own to play with, he should've considered the possibility that Sly would develop a form of separation-anxiety.

"Sly, when have I ever not come back?" he asked.

The toddler considered for a moment, trying to come up with a convincing argument of why his brother's departure was unnecessary. Unable to come up with one, Tarro watched as a defeated look appeared on the Dovahkiir child's face.

"You come back," the boy said, his words coming out as a demand.

"I promise."

With the desired effect achieved, Tarro flung the covers from his body and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Clad in only his fundoshi, he planted his bare feet against the hard wood floor and rose to his feet, heading over to a nearby wooden dresser. Pulling open one of the drawers, he removed a baggy pair of charcoal grey pants and tugging them on along with a black t-shirt. He slipped on a orange and blue vest and fastened it closed with a thick belt of brown fabric, while putting on brown boots and thick wristbands. Once attired, he stepped into the hallway and discovered Korianda had been patiently waiting for him to emerge.

"I heard the commotion," she stated, offering him a sheathed katana.

"Thanks," he said, taking it from her.

"Is it as bad as it sounds?" she asked, watching him secure the weapon across his chest.

"More vessels arrived, but they're not on the side of the loyalists."

"Betcha Humanity First thinks they're the patriots."

Tarro scoffed at that comment, but knew that the members of Humanity First were deluded enough to actually believe it. Heading for the family room, he stepped out onto the patio and engulfed his body in a golden flame-like aura. He turned back in the direction of the doorway, discovering that Inari and Sly had accompanied Korianda.

"I'll be right back," he said, directing his words at the Dovahkiir child.

The boy scowled at him, but nonetheless gave his head a nod, giving his brother his reluctant approval. Rocketing into the air, Tarro tore off into the direction of Central City and the battle that awaited him.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Blitzkrieg

Location: Cerros Shipyards

That same time...

* * *

He had departed under the cover of darkness, allowing him to travel to the shipyard before anyone realized that he wasn't in Central City. Backed up by a battalion of Cerberus Troopers, Tatarin had seized control of the facility with no one the wiser. Gorgon-class Battlecruisers underwent repairs at the facility, but experimental R&D was also conducted there. One such weapon was the Xanthos; a prototype war machine designed in the same vain as the A2 Viking Armoured Mechanical Hybrid. Heavily armoured, it could withstand multiple shots from a Battlecruiser's Yamato Cannon before compromising the structural integrity.

"We've reports coming in," a Trooper announced as they entered the vehicle's bridge, "Fighting has broken out in Central City."

"Do those fools honestly have a death wish?" Tatarin asked aloud.

"I wouldn't know, General."

"I want us airborne immediately."

"Sir, the Xanthos needs at least twenty minutes in order to launch properly."

"You've got five minutes."

Approaching a nearby computer console, the General studied the schematics of the war machine displayed on the screen. It was armed with a vulcan blaster, a railgun, missiles, and a flamethrower, while also containing a hanger packed with air-superiority fighters.

"Hmm...this machine has a secret combat mode," he commented to himself.

Only a select group of high-ranking individual would be aware of such a transformation, something that he clearly wasn't. Not that it mattered now, control of the craft was his and he would unleash the monstrosity as he saw fit.

"Engines online," someone announced.

As if confirming the man's statement, Tatarin felt a subtle vibration reverberate throughout the entire vessel.

"Weapon Systems?" he inquired.

The response came faster then expected, with multiple individuals issuing status reports on the craft's weapons.

"Vulcan blaster...online."

"Railgun...online."

"Missile batteries...loaded."

"Flamethrower...fueled up."

"Excellent. Begin detachment procedures."

"Acknowledged."

Clasping his hands behind his back, the General waited with growing impatience as the techie began getting to work. He felt the entire vessel suddenly lurch as it detached from the construction cranes that held it secured.

"Engine at maximum output and holding," someone announced.

"Plot a course for Central City," he ordered, "It's time we burn this infestation."

* * *

Location: Central City

Ten minutes later...

* * *

As the battle raged, it had quickly became apparent that those loyal to the Terran Republic were on the losing end.

"We should do something," Sonic stated, voicing everyone thoughts.

"I'm open to suggestions," Sally announced.

From there position, they watched as a Valkyrie Missile Frigate corkscrewed through the air and crashed somewhere within Beacon Hill.

"I wish we had the X-Tornado," Tails grumbled.

"Even the Freedom Fighter Special could help if we could get to it," Rotor added.

It would be suicide for them to even attempt it, especially since the aircraft had been left at the Central City's Airport. They also had no way of knowing if it was still in one piece, given all of the rioting that had been going on. The shadow of a Minotaur-class Battlecruiser passed over them, heading directly for the City Center. The last thing they expected to see was a metallic slug ripping its way through the side of the vessel, exploding out the opposite side.

 _"Mayday! Mayday! This is the Helios. We have sustained terrible, terrible damage."_

They watched in disbelief as it listed to one side and plummeted, crashing into the downtown core of the city. They felt the vibration of the impact, and watched as a fireball rose up amongst the towering skyscrapers.

"MY SHIP!" Warfield roared, the General having appeared at one of the windows.

His second-in-command had been placed in command of the vessel, which had now ignited a portion of the city aflame. They were fortunate that the Helios' reactor had gone critical, otherwise they would've been incinerated in the blast.

"W-What was that?" Ray stammered.

"If I were to guess, I'd say it was some kind of railgun," Tails announced.

"I don't want to meet the machine that has that type of firepower," Sonic stated.

The hedgehog didn't receive his wish, as the unseen war machine slowly maneuvered itself over the race track.

"Me and my big mouth."

"The Xanthos was undergoing construction at the Cerros Shipyards," Warfield stated, "It shouldn't be ready for field testing."

 _"HELLO PRINCESS,"_ a voice greeted from the machine, _"SO NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN."_

"Tatarin," Sally gasped.

 _"SO YOU DO REMEMBER. I WAS CONCERNED THAT THE STRESS OF YOUR ACTIONS MIGHT'VE SHATTERED YOUR MIND."_

"You're the one who made Sally-girl do that!" Bunnie yelled.

 _"IT MATTERS NOT NOW. ONCE I'VE BURNED THE MOBIAN INFESTATION FROM THIS CITY, I'LL MOVE ONTO THE OTHERS."_

"You'll kill thousands!" Amy said.

 _"SOMETIMES SACRIFICES NEED TO BE MADE."_

Without warning, the Xanthos leveled its railgun at the commentator's booth and fired a single a neosteel slug directly into the building.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Revived Will

Location: Egg Carrier

That same time...

* * *

Form the safety of his vessel, Eggman watched as the Xanthos open fire upon the commentator's booth. Knowing that Sonic and his irritating friends had taken shelter inside, part of him was actually concerned that his arch-enemy had perished. He knew better though, given the fact that the hedgehog had a uncanny ability to cheat certain death.

"Decoe, set course for New Megaopolis," he ordered.

 _"What? But...we weren't able to acquire the Deep Power Stones,"_ the gold robot stated.

"And we never will," the scientist admitted, "It's time to cut our losses."

As much as he disliked the idea of cutting and running, he understood that the deck was stacked against him. He also wasn't willing to take on the Xanthos, not after witnessing the type of power it was capable of unleashing.

 _"Course plotted,"_ Bocoe announced, _"Diverting power to the engines."_

With the Umbrella Cloak activated, no one noticed the fly fortress peeling away from the battlefield. The egg-shaped doctor felt the rumbling growing stronger as the forward thrust increase, carrying the aircraft towards one of the many holes that had been blasted into the mountain.

"You'd better not be dead, Sonic. Our rivalry is what helps to pass the monotony."

Passing through the gaping hole, the Egg Carrier entered into Murasia, where it continued onward to Northamer.

* * *

Location: Central City

Three minutes later...

* * *

Sonic landed hard on the ground, the Time-Space distortion generated by Chaos Control having dumped him outside the raceway. It had been an act born out of desperation, meant to save them from what should have been certain death. Preferring to rely on his own natural abilities, the hedgehog generally only tapped into the Chaos Force in only the most extreme circumstances.

"Is everybody alright?" he asked, immediately concerned for his friends.

Everyone voiced their wellbeing, but it was apparent that those Terrans who had been using the commentator's booth as a command post hadn't escape. Warfield had been one of those individuals, and now the situation was growing increasingly dire. The Xanthos had moved on from raceway, already laying waste to the Jackson Heights neighbourhood. Deploying Tac Fighters, the war machine had done a good job of keeping the enemy aircraft at bay.

 _"We've got to do something,"_ Shard said.

"That thing took out a Battlecruiser," Tails stated, "I think we're in over our head here."

"Shard's right," Sonic declared, "People are dying out there."

"But Sonic...," Amy began.

"DID WE TURN TAIL AND RUN WHEN PERFECT CHAOS WAS RAVAGING STATION SQUARE? NO, BECAUSE WE'RE FREEDOM FIGHTERS, DAMN IT!"

"Sonic's right," Sticks said unexpectedly, "We've overcome every plot that Eggman has hatched, how is this any different?"

Sticks' speech had its intended effect, causing the dejected look on the Mobian's faces to be replaced with one of resolve. Numerous sets of eyes were now on Sally, her friends and allies looking to her for some much needed leadership.

"Evacuate any civilians to the subway system," Sally announced, "The military was using the tunnels to get them out of the city."

"What about the Xanthos?" Mighty asked, watching a number of buildings burn.

"That'll be where Tails comes in. I want you to get down to the airport and retrieve the Freedom Fighter Special. If it's in any condition to fly then I want it airborne."

"Okay..., but there's no way it can withstand such firepower," the fox warned.

"I'm not expecting you to attack it," she stated, "But if we have to hit it, then we're going to need transportation."

Nodding his head, Tails twisted in namesakes together and took flight, heading off in the direction of Central City's airport.

"Who's going to take on the Xanthos?" Amy asked.

"You, Sonic, Mighty, Rotor, Bunnie, and Shard," Sally answered, "You're our heavy hitters, so if there's any way to get inside then you'll find it...or make one."

"We might not have to," Shard abruptly stated.

Sally opened her mouth to question the renegade Metal Sonic, but was quickly cut off when a golden blur suddenly shot by. It headed directly for the Xanthos, which was currently crossing the river into the western part of Beacon Hill. The blur immediately veered to the right, going wide before changing direction and slamming into the side of the war machine. An explosion tore through the left-side of the craft, the blur exiting through the newly created hole. The catastrophic damaged caused the Xanthos to plummet to the ground, crashing against the banks of the river. As the disabled craft impacted, the railgun unexpectedly discharged, sending a slug into the cavern ceiling. Another hole was blasted into the already damaged wall, further exposing Augustgrad to the outside world. The damage also caused the Convex Hologram Panels to fail, plunging the entire country into darkness.

"What the hell was that?" Sonic asked.

"Not what...who, Shard replied, a knowing smirk on his face.

"The plan still stands," Sally declared, "I want the heavy hitters going after Tatarin, everyone is to evacuate civilians."


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Smack Down

Location: Beacon Hill East

Five minutes later...

* * *

Bursting out of the wreckage of the Xanthos, Tatarin dropped to the ground and tore his burning coat from his body. Underneath, he wore a suit of formfitting armour, which by some miracle had managed to survive the fire that had broken out within the war machine.

"What the hell was that?" he said to himself.

He looked around bewildered, try to located the object which was responsible for bring down the Xanthos in a single hit. No such weapon currently existed within Terran Republic's arsenal, and he was well aware of that.

"Hello there," a voice greeted.

The rogue General whirled around, spotting a spiky-haired boy with a monkey tails standing nearby.

"You...," Tatarin growled, recognizing him.

"I'm ready for our rematch," Tarro declared.

"You've clearly forgotten how things turned out the last time."

"I haven't been sitting around and eating bonbons this entire time."

"Oh? Something you'd wish to share?"

A fiery gold aura enveloped him, turning his black hair golden-blonde, while his pupils and irises turned green.

"Very impressive," Tatarin said mockingly, "You can change the colour of your hair."

Tarro closed the gap that separated them, driving his fist into the General's stomach with such force that he coughed up blood.

"Sorry, my hand slipped."

"You little shit," he snarled.

The newly minted Super Saiyan drew his arm back and punched him in the temple, causing him to topple over as if he were dead weight. Tatarin whipped his head around, unleashing a glare that would've incinerated the prepubescent upstart. Leaping back to his feet, the renegade General swung his arm, aiming his fist directly at the boy's head. Tarro caught it with little effort and immediately crushed the man's hand, causing him to howl out in pain. He didn't let go, instead he smashed the limb between his elbow and his knee. He tore the limb free from the boy's grasp, which he discovered hung uselessly at his side.

"You irritating little primate."

"Tell me that that not the best insult you can come up with?" the boy questioned.

The nanomachines within his body were already working to repair the damage, but they required time, time that he had to buy.

"I can't help but think that you were holding back the last time," Tatarin stated.

"This time around I have no intention of holding back."

The monkey-tailed boy launched himself forward, delivering a kick under the man chin that sent him high into the air. He immediately flew off in pursuit, catching up the General and round-housing through a nearby building. His body didn't stop, instead emerging through the other side and landing in the district's war ravaged streets.

"I've definitely underestimated him," he grumbled, picking himself off the ground.

Turning his gaze skyward, he discovered the boy hovering in midair, charging a ball of energy in the palm of his right hand. Tarro unleashed multiple Ki blasts not concerning himself about collateral damage so long as he managed to hit the General. He took off running, the nanomachines helping him to outpace the Saiyan's reckless Ki blasts. Ducking into an abandoned boutique, he hoped that the building wouldn't collapse with him inside. Tatarin moved deeper into the shop, walking past mannequins that had been knocked over during the assault on the city. Passing by fallen racks of clothing, he brushed away the dust that now coated the black bodysuit that he wore.

"I should be safe in here," he said.

He soon became aware that the explosions outside had at some point ceased, which filled him with concern. He knew that the boy was now searching for him, but he'd be able to escape notice as long as he kept his head down.

"Hey, how's it going?" a voice asked.

Tatarin whirled around and discovered the boy seated on a counter, his legs crossed at the ankles. The boy reached up and grabbed the hilt of the katana that was strapped to his back, slowly withdrawing the silver blade.

"Bloom..., Nénuphar."

The blade of the half-withdrawn sword began to glow, taking on a colouration that could be best described as salmon-pink.

"Sonova..."

Once fully unsheathed, the blade disintegrated into thousands of flower petals that immediately zeroed in on the General. Buried under the tidal wave, Tatarin was knocked off his feet and dragged across the floor of the shop. He was tossed through the display window, landing in the deserted street, the petals cutting and slashing at him. Activating the nanomachines within his body, his flesh took on a necrotic-look, hardening and mitigating the damage. Thrown against the steps of a nearby building, he became aware that the wave was receding, drawn back into the interior of the boutique. Tarro stepped through the destroyed display window, stopping so as to re-sheath his silver katana.

"Is that the best you've got?" Tatarin questioned, rising to his feet.

"You rely on a strength that's manufactured," the boy accused, "It's the only reason why you're still standing."

"If you've got it, why not use it?"

"That's fine. I'll just keep pounding you into the dirt until you stay down."

"You sure you've got the patience?" he mocked.

"You sure those nanomachines of yours can handle the strain?"

He honestly didn't know if they could, as they were only been meant to enhance a person's physical performance. Having given himself an infusion several times beyond what was recommended, he had no way of knowing how much strain they could take before they began burning out.

"Let's test it out, shall we?" Tatarin declared, launching himself forward.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Involve

Location: Beacon Hill

That same time...

* * *

Despite the aerial battle that was raging in the skies above Central City, the blonde-haired man had little reason for feeling concerned. The ship's cloaking technology was active, which allowed them to fly virtually right under the noses of the Terrans. Watching his carefully laid plans crumble before his very eyes, he knew that years of work had been wasted.

"Sir, Null has been reengaged," the pilot reported.

"I see...," he said, stroking his chin.

Since the destruction of the Terran mobile weapon, he had taken a particular interest in the monkey-tailed boy. He exhibited the ability to manipulate energy, a concept whose origins could be traced back to ancient China. It was an underlying principal in martial arts and traditional medicine, one he had considered complete hogwash. But given what the boy had thus far demonstrated, it seemed that his opinion had been wildly misplaced.

"Are we still recording?" he asked.

"The remote tracking devices are recording from every possible angle."

"Good," he said, "I have a feeling that this boy might prove to be problematic."

"Understood."

Leaning back in his chair, the blonde-haired man found himself pondering where the boy could've come from. The thought that he might be the result of a union between of a Mobian and a Human sickened him, despite scientific facts proving that such pregnancies weren't viable. The alternative was that he was an alien, which was more plausible given how the Earth had become host to all sorts of extraterrestrial species.

"Put us down somewhere over in Pigeon Park," he ordered, "It's time to salvage this situation."

"Yes sir."

Rising to his feet, the blonde-haired man left the bridge and proceeded towards the door that would allow him to exit. A narrow corridor waited for him on the other side of the door, which allowed him to travel deeper into the vessel. Stopping at another door, he punched his code into the adjacent keypad, allowing him access to the interior. Another chamber lay beyond, which served as his personal sleeping quarters whenever he was in transit. It contained all the amenities that a small apartment would have, except for the computer terminal and the wall-mounted monitor. Stepping inside, he approached a wall panel that would've gone unnoticed by those unfamiliar with the ship and placed his right hand against its surface. The panel lit up when his hand made contact, displaying various biometrics as the system worked to confirm his identity.

"IDENTITY CONFIRMED: GIOVANNI, RICARDO," the computer announced.

The panel immediately unlocked and slid open, allowing him access to what he had been storing inside. Embedded into the wall was a small refrigeration unit, with a number of vials that had been stored inside. They were the Princess' blood samples, which would be transported to the Boulder Dome once his business was concluded. He ignored those vials and selected another one entirely, one that was filled with a grey substance. While the vial might appear to contain a liquid, in actuality they were they were microscopic nanomachines.

"Initiating landing sequence," the pilot announced over the intercom.

Ricardo immediately tapped the buttons of the communicator that was strapped onto his right wrist.

"Sparrow, you are to meet me at the airlock in five minutes," he instructed.

Instead of a voice, a series of taps emerged through the speaker, the unseen individual's way of acknowledging the order.

* * *

Location: Beacon Hill

Five minutes later...

* * *

Landing in the middle of the street, Tatarin found that he had ended up right in front of the United Assembly.

"How fitting," he grumbled, pushing himself off the ground.

"It should be," Tarro said, landing without a sound, "This was where you used Sally as a pawn in your twisted game."

"Somebody high-profile had to take the fall."

Rising to his feet, the rebellious General immediately noticed that the Hedgehog was conspicuously absent.

"I see you're spiny friend has chosen to make himself scarce," he commented, "A wise decision on his part."

"Neither of us know him that well," the boy stated, "There's still plenty of time for him to be foolish."

Rocketing forward, Tarro delivered a vicious punch to the General's face, sending him flying down the street. The boy immediately shot off after him, catching up in an instant and seizing a hold of him by the leg. He swung Tatarin into the ground, the force of the impact causing a portion of the road to collapse. The General was sent plummeting into the sewer system, though the young Saiyan quickly lost sight of him.

"WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING HERE!?" he demanded.

Extended his right arm with his palm facing flat, Tarro began charging a ball of yellow Ki, bolts of electricity arcing wildly off of it.

"WAIT! WHAT'S THAT LIGHT?"

"WALK TOWARDS IT!" the boy encouraged, "RAIKOHO!"

The sound of a thunderclap echoed into the distance as the Ki blast was fired off, causing an explosive collapse of the sewer system. He immediately regretted his actions, as he had could've easily have sent him into the subway system. Civilians were still being evacuated through those tunnels, and he had potentially just put their lives at risk.

"Geez! Remind me not to anger you," Sonic said approaching.

"Where are the others?" he asked, not bothering to look at the Hedgehog.

"They're trying to evacuate the civilians," he answered, green eyes falling upon the hole, "He dead?"

"Those nanomachines make him too stubborn to die."

Thrusting his right hand towards the hole, the boy began generating a small sphere of energy on each of his fingers.

"RENZOKU KIKOHA!"

Swinging his arm, the young Saiyan unleashed a series of Ki blasts into the hole, meant to add insult to injury.

"I'd advise you to refrain from doing that," a voice stated, "Null's development was quite costly."

The pair whirled around, discovering a blonde-haired man dressed in a white suit walking in their direction.


End file.
